Just a Small Experiment
by winter s. jameson
Summary: Soon after the events of Full Circle, SG-1 is called on to shut down a cloning experiment run by the rogue element of the NID and deal with the results. Chapter 22 up. That's right, folks, a brand new chapter! Smelling salts are available in the lobby...
1. Chapter 1

AN: This story's become a particular favorite of mine, and I hope it does for you, too. Be warned that while the violence in this isn't exactly graffic, the aftermath can be. Consider this a squick alert.

* * *

Doctor Maxwell MacDonald was a meek, mild-mannered man. Very intelligent, as his dual doctorates in genetic engineering and cellular biology would attest, but also quite non-confrontational. He'd been tapped for research and development by the NID soon after the debacle with the large alien bug that nearly succeeded in using the Jaffa Teal'c as a breeding ground early in the Stargate Program's history. It was decided that having a geneticist directly on staff could prove to be quite beneficial, and Max did nothing to prove that theory wrong. 

When he was presented with multiple genetic samples from a number of SG team members midway through the third year of the program along with the plans for their use, he began to wonder about the morals of the people in charge of Area 51. But he accepted the quickly-offered reassurances that the highest moral standards would be observed, and went on with his work. This was, after all, the scientific chance of a lifetime, and Max was definitely a true scientist. He knew he wouldn't end up in the history books due to the classified nature of the experiments, but he was doing the kind of work that he loved. He was more than satisfied.

Max found himself more intimately involved in one of the experiments than he would have normally, due to the tricky combination of genetics and alien technology. In fact, the first several tries were dismal failures - from the higher-ups' point of view. Max learned his lessons from each trial and moved ahead, finally producing a viable result. What thrilled the reclusive scientist was that he was able to reproduce the results a number of times; the monetary bonus he received from his employers was just icing on the cake.

The geneticist's role became focused on that particular experiment when it was moved to a remote location. He was to monitor the results to watch for degradation, and use whatever results he found to prepare a second run in five years' time. He worked closely with a medical doctor in doing his job, as well as plenty of lab technicians, yet something kept him from growing close to any of them, something unknown to him that separated him into a class by himself. Max wasn't used to such a situation; he'd always at least been able to count on being casually social with his co-workers. However, he adjusted, justifying things by reminding himself that he was doing important work. He just needed to find other friends outside of work.

Something that bled over from his days in Nevada was a deep appreciation of what the SG teams, SG-1 in particular, did to keep the world safe from the numerous threats out there in the galaxy. Max looked forward to reading their mission reports - nominally to check for any technology that he could find useful in forwarding the experiment - and he knew that the other scientists as well as the test subjects did the same. SG-1 was a team of true heroes to the geneticist, willing to stand up for what they believed in no matter what, do whatever was necessary to do the right thing. He could only wish he had that kind of courage.

For a day finally came when he questioned the moral rightness of what he was involved with. Up until that day he trusted that he would never be asked by his employers to do anything that was wrong, that went against his moral ethics. But then he was told to ignore those ethics, even though to do so would cost so much. As he stared at the results of such action, tears streaming from his eyes, he knew of only one thing he could do, one person he could call. He only hoped it would be in time.

* * *

Jack O'Neill blinked groggily at his alarm clock as the ringing of his phone dragged him from the slumber he'd just managed to slip into a short time ago. His mind kept playing his last conversation with the ascended Daniel Jackson over and over again, letting him see the look of determined purpose with just a hint of reluctant resignation that his friend wore before leaving to try to take down Anubis. That was the line Jack had asked him to cross. That was the action it was quite likely had taken Daniel from them for good, either because of Anubis or Oma Desala. And now at... three forty-seven in the morning, some moron decided it was a good time for a chat. 

"This had better be about a galactic-sized threat if you want to live to see tomorrow," Jack growled into the phone as he tore it from the cradle and brought it to his ear.

"Not... not exactly," a meek voice answered in a hurried whisper. "But I think you're going to want to know about this all the same. It's not right, Colonel O'Neill, and it needs to be stopped."

"Who are you and what in the hell are you talking about?"

There was the sound of a deep breath being taken before the whisper continued. "There's been an ongoing experiment that began at Area 51, but it was moved to a remote location in the Colorado Rockies six months after viable results were achieved. It's all falling apart now, and you need to get up here before we lose all the test subjects!"

Jack shook his head slightly to make sure he was hearing things correctly. "Are you telling me you want me to come up to some random location in the mountains and clean up one of the NID's messes? One I'm sure they shouldn't have been making in the first place, by the way. What makes you think I'd want anything to do with that?"

"Because they're children, Colonel. The test subjects are children. And if you don't stop the others they're all going to die!" There was a loud gasp. "I have to go, I think they're on to me. Please, come up here and save them! They don't deserve to die because I couldn't do enough to save them."

"But where..."

"I've emailed you a file that will tell you everything you need to know. Don't bother trying to track down the address, it's already been eliminated so it couldn't be tracked by the others here. I have to go. Please, Colonel. Do it for the children."

The line went dead.

* * *

A little over three hours later, General George Hammond, Doctor Janet Fraiser, and the four members of SG-1 were seated around the briefing room table, all of them with folders in front of them. "Janet and I have read through the information your informant, a Doctor Maxwell MacDonald, sent you, Colonel," Major Samantha Carter began once everyone was settled. "It looks like the rogue NID splinter group got a hold of a number of genetic samples from various SG team members right before you shut down their off-world activities. One of the uses for them was to run a cloning experiment, in an attempt to create a future generation of Stargate Command. There were quite a few unsuccessful attempts before they finally got a viable clone, and the results were able to be duplicated. Six months later, the entire operation was moved to a remote location in the mountains of Colorado. The last results Doctor MacDonald recorded suggests that there were the beginning signs of genetic degradation, and that he was attempting to create a serum that would halt and reverse the effects." 

"Do we know if he was successful?" Hammond asked.

"I can't be sure," Janet replied, frowning. "There are a lot of variables I don't know enough about, and that I have a feeling I couldn't recreate if I did. There's mention of an alien device that allowed them to nurture the clones to maturity without any need for a human womb-like environment."

"Why would that be important?" Jack asked.

Jonas Quinn raised a hand. "I thought Doctor MacDonald said the test subjects were children."

Janet held up both her hands to get everyone's attention. "Let me give you some background information about animal cloning so you'll all understand the significance of what the rogue NID people have done. I took a closer look into the subject after I heard about the problems the Asgard were having. Our system of cloning takes the nucleus from a cell of the organism - the part that holds the DNA - to be cloned and injects it into a donor egg that's had its nucleus removed. Then, the two of them are fused using electricity and implanted into a surrogate mother's womb where it matures like any other embryo. However, _this_ baby is a genetic clone of the DNA donor."

"But what about the egg?" Sam asked. "Surely not all the DNA stored in the mitochondria is eliminated."

"You have a point there, Sam. This method of cloning doesn't really produce a one hundred percent identical clone. But it's as close as we can get considering our current level of technology."

"You know, you two have lost me," Jack told the two women with a scowl. "I think I get how the clone is created, but what's the stuff about an identical clone? And what's the point?"

Janet sighed then gave the colonel a small smile. "An identical clone would match the original in every way. The clone created using the process I just described uses outside DNA from the donor egg to complete the process of forming all the genetic material it needs to become a complete, viable organism. There are minor DNA differences."

Jack nodded. "So they're not completely the same. Okay, got it. But that doesn't answer my second question. What's the point?"

Jonas leaned forward. "I think I know. Because the rogue group is using a different system that apparently doesn't require an outside source for nurturing the embryo to maturity, the assumption is that they probably aren't using a donor egg either. And so these clones are truly identical clones to the originals."

Sam smiled at him. "That's it."

"So these people have perfected human cloning techniques, is that what you're saying?" Hammond asked, eyes wide as he considered the implications.

"Not exactly, sir," Janet refuted. "They're close, and if this serum that Doctor MacDonald was attempting to create is successful it could lead to ironing out what bugs there are."

"The group is on a five year time table," Sam said. "They have plans to start another batch in two years' time."

Teal'c's eyebrow went up, creasing the golden tattoo in the middle of his forehead. "Does this mean that the clones the rogue NID group have already created have been in existence for three years?" the Jaffa asked.

Sam nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying. The only positive factor I can see here is that they haven't used the nanotechnology we've encountered to accelerate the clones' growth. They might on the next batch though."

"Assuming there _is_ a next batch," Jack said darkly. "General, permission to track down this secret lab and put it out of commission."

Hammond looked at Sam. "I take it you've discovered the location of the lab, Major?"

Sam smiled grimly. "Yes, I have. Doctor MacDonald hid it well, but I found it amongst his notes."

Jonas looked at her confused. "If he called Colonel O'Neill to tell him to come stop the lab, why would he hide the location?"

"I think he did it so no one else would know he'd given that information away if the file was discovered by someone other than me," Sam explained. "I know that sounds conceited and a little far-fetched, but the latitude and longitude coordinates were hidden amongst some complicated math equations that were included about the device used to incubate the clones. Each of the wrong sums caused by the odd data, placed side by side, makes up my birthdate. And I'm not sure anyone else would have gotten the significance, most likely writing off the equations as inaccurate and leaving it at that."

"And I suppose the false equations would lead someone in the rogue group to think he'd messed up the information he'd sent. We'd know that the experiment was going on, but would be running around in circles trying to find out where and how." Jonas nodded his understanding.

"During our attempts to answer those questions, they would be free to move the location of the experiment to a new, unknown facility, as well as take steps to insure the lack of discovery in the future," Teal'c added.

Jack released an explosive breath. "We're wasting time here, folks. There are kids' lives at stake, and we're sitting around here gabbing about things that can be discussed later if at all."

Hammond nodded. "The colonel's correct." He looked at Jack as he stood, the others at the table immediately following suit. "Take whatever teams you think you'll need and shut those people down. Be sure to take whatever files you can. The more information we have on the experiment and the rogue group the better. Dismissed." The older man walked determinedly toward his office and the red phone that would connect him to the president. The country's Commander-in-Chief needed to be informed as to what was going on.

O'Neill looked at the others. "You heard the man. Let's get moving."

"Colonel," Janet said quickly, stopping him in his tracks as the rest of SG-1 moved swiftly out of the room. "I'd like to be part of this mission. You just might need me when you find those kids."

"Weren't you listening, Doc?" he asked with a small, tight smile. "I said let's get moving. That meant you, too."

"Thank you, sir," the petite doctor said with a satisfied grin before practically running out the door. Jack was right behind her.

* * *

It took next to no time to take a helicopter to Steamboat Springs, the largest city nearest the location Sam had been given via Doctor MacDonald's notes. Upon landing, Jack sent out SG-11 to pick up the arranged ground transportation that would take them to the site. "You're one hundred percent sure about this information, Carter?" the mission commander asked his 2IC as he looked over SG teams 6, 15, and 17 as they milled about the small airfield they'd landed at, double checking gear and equipment. 

"As sure as I can be, sir," Sam replied.

"Doc, your team will wait outside with SG-6 until I call for you. I want to make sure things are clear for you to reach the kids."

Janet nodded, the nurse and three medics she'd picked to accompany her standing behind her with the medical equipment they'd brought along. "Yes, Colonel."

"Colonel, do we have time for a little recon?" Sam asked speculatively.

Jack's brows furrowed. "Why do you ask?"

The blonde major turned to him, her expression thoughtful. "I was thinking we could ask around at a few of the grocery stores and gas stations, see if anyone knows about any people who have come in somewhat regularly over the last three years. We have a semi-complete list of personnel involved with the project; we might be able to track their movements, find out what kind of supplies they're stocked with."

Jack nodded. "I think we can take a little time for that. We might be able to find out if they've supplemented the arsenal the rogue group is sure to have provided."

"We do have a complete list of SGC personnel they have genetic samples from, don't we?" Jonas asked.

"Yes," Sam confirmed quietly, her gaze dropping to the ground.

The Kelownan's expression became concerned. "Sam? What is it? Are you okay?"

The physicist took a deep breath before raising her eyes. "They have samples from over thirty SG team members as well as thirteen others connected to the project, and were successful at creating clones of twenty of them."

Jack shared a look with Janet before both pairs of brown eyes narrowed. "We knew that before we came here, Carter. What did you manage to dig up since?"

"As you know, the subjects' files, as well as the personnel files, were encrypted, each individually. I was only able to break a small number of the codes before we left. But I kept working as we waited for take-off and on the flight over here, and I managed to put together the list of subjects." Sam took another deep breath. "They cloned SG-1, sir, all four of us. From the footnote on Teal'c's file, they were planning on getting a hold of a larval symbiote for him at the appropriate time."

"Crap." Jack looked over his shoulder and called over Major Thomas Kamrath, the commander of SG-15. "Major, I want you to take your team and do some asking around at the nearby grocery stores and gas stations about the scientists we're likely to run into at this lab," he ordered once the man came over. "See if any of them have been coming here for supplies and if so, what they've been stocking up on. Pay special attention to anything they might have picked up that was out of the ordinary. You've got names and pictures in the briefing materials you were provided. Be back in an hour."

"Yes, sir," Major Kamrath replied with a brief salute. Jack returned it, and SG-15 was off.

"Let me get this straight," the grey-haired man said to his second once the other team was gone. "We're probably going to be running into miniature versions of _us_ in that facility?"

Sam nodded. "Most likely, sir. You, me, Teal'c... and Daniel."

Jack's breath caught in his throat. "Daniel? They cloned Daniel?"

"It makes sense, sir. They were looking to recreate the best and the brightest the SGC has to offer. In fact, from what I've seen, cloning SG-1 was a priority. We're one of the most successful field teams out there, and we're definitely the most unique. They were hoping to harness our abilities while training the clones to have complete loyalty to them." Sam swallowed painfully, using the facts and figures to hide the anguish she was feeling about having to face the younger version of the friend she wasn't sure was still out there. She could only hope Anubis hadn't succeeded in killing him.

"What about me?" Jonas asked. "I'm not trying to sound conceited or anything, but I _am_ a member of SG-1."

"You were not a member at the time the clones were created," Teal'c answered before Sam could. "There has been no evidence that any more clones were created since that time. I am sure, however, that they are in possession of your genetic material and are planning on utilizing it upon the commencement of the next experiment."

Janet nodded. "I'd be willing to wager on that, especially after your little run-in with Nirrti and its presumed aftereffects. You wouldn't believe the questions I was asked after we removed that brain tumor." She raised a hand when she saw the man's eyes widen. "Don't worry. I didn't tell them anything. That's all covered by doctor/patient confidentiality. They weren't too happy about going away unsatisfied, but I really don't care."

Jack cleared his throat. "Is there anyone else we should know about?" he asked, a little nervous about the answer he'd get.

Sam sighed. "They tapped Janet, Sergeant Walter Harriman, Master Sergeant David Siler... and Cassie. Those are the most important people I can think of right off hand, sir. They didn't clone General Hammond, but I don't know why."

"They cloned Cassie?" Janet asked in a whisper, her expression stricken.

"You know why," Sam replied, tears in her eyes. Janet could only nod.

"Did they clone Nyan?" Jack asked softly, out of respect for a mother's pain. "I mean, he _is_ the other resident alien on staff, and he's not too shabby in the brains department."

Sam shook her head, one last sniff representing her success in getting her emotions under control. "No. They started the experiment right before he came over from Bedrosia. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a sample for the next round of experiments though, like what'll probably happen with Jonas."

Jack raised his right hand, index finger extended. "_If_ we don't stop them. And I have every intention of stopping them. Come on. Let's make sure everyone's ready for when SG-11 and SG-15 get back."

* * *

Whatever resistance the team from the SGC was expecting from the personnel at the lab facility, it wasn't what they found. They had the element of surprise working to their advantage in the beginning, but not long after they infiltrated the perimeter, the whole place became a war zone. Through sheer luck, all the SGC personnel managed to escape unscathed when the mercenaries protecting the facility fell back to the building proper. Jack left SG-11 and SG-17 to secure a tight perimeter around the blocky stone construction, SG-6 to wait with Fraiser and her team, and led SG-1 and SG-15 inside to mop things up, hopefully before anyone was completely successful in destroying the evidence of the experiment that had made everything necessary. 

A cell of resistance became evident almost immediately upon the two teams' entrance, and SG-15 was dispatched to take care of it. Once SG-1 had moved further into the building, Jack split them up into two teams of two, Sam and Jonas to look for the children and the alien technology used in the cloning process, and Teal'c and himself to hunt down the scientists and administrative staff. After admonishing the younger members of his team to stay in radio contact, he led Teal'c down a long hallway that stretched off to their left.

"It is unfortunate that the scientists were unwilling to surrender," Teal'c said a while later as he and Jack entered what appeared to be the main office of the complex. "Our search for information would be much aided by their input."

"Which is why they weren't," Jack retorted. The Jaffa inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Although I have to admit, I felt a bit of satisfaction every time I pulled the trigger."

"As did I, O'Neill. These surroundings are more reminiscent of a military barracks than a place to raise children. One must wonder how the experiment was proceeding."

Jack's eyes darkened even further than they had after he'd heard about the possibility of seeing a clone of his recently absent friend. "I've been trying not to think about that. I might be tempted to waste a few clips on useless corpses." His words halted abruptly when Teal'c raised a hand in warning and tilted his head toward a slightly open door on the right hand wall. A moment later both of them could hear a weak moan.

Jack quickly stepped over to the door and opened it further. His breath caught when he saw the bleeding mass of humanity that was revealed sprawled inside the closet. "What do you think happened?" he asked softly, kneeling next to the unconscious figure and checking his pulse after turning on the light above him.

"I believe this is Doctor MacDonald," Teal'c replied, his voice as quiet as his team leader's. "The other scientists must have suspected his actions in regards to our current infiltration of the laboratory and retaliated."

"Damn," Jack swore, scowling. "I was hoping to get him out alive. He won't even make it out of the room in this condition."

"I... I knew... you'd come... Colonel," a raspy whisper said confidently from the floor of the closet. Jack and Teal'c looked down in surprise at a set of barely-focused grey-green eyes. "I... I knew I... could... count on... SG-1."

"Yeah, we're getting far too good at cleaning up NID messes," Jack said, his gentle tone belying his sarcastic words. "How long have you been here?"

Max swallowed with difficulty. "Not... long. The others... realized... what I'd done... when they... heard the reports... of you... starting your raid." He gave them a wry half-smile. "You can... see... the results."

Teal'c knelt down opposite Jack. "What of the children?"

"They should be... in their... living quarters. One level... down. All... twenty... of them."

A brief burst of static from the two team members' radios cut off Jack's next question. "Colonel, this is Carter. Jonas and I found a set of stairs heading down to a lower level and are splitting up. We've found no signs of resistance so it should be safe."

Jack lowered his head to where his radio rested in his vest. "Copy that. Who's going down?"

"That would be me, Colonel," Jonas responded. "Sam's going to check out the few rooms we're guessing are labs on this level."

"He's... right. Those are... labs," MacDonald gasped.

"We've got confirmation that the rooms are labs. Teal'c and I found Doctor MacDonald in the main office."

Max gestured and caught Jack's eye. "No one should... be there... or with the... children. They think... their destruction... protocol... was successfully... initiated... when you came."

Jack gave the dying man a small smile. "I take it you did something to prevent that?"

Max tried to return the expression, but it came out more as a painful grimace. "Rewrote program... when they kept me... from the children. Did it... before... I called."

"Good man," Jack whispered, unable to keep up the eye contact. He reached for his radio once more. "Carter, things should be clear for both of you. The other scientists tried to initiate a destruction protocol before throwing themselves at our bullets, but MacDonald took the punch out of it without them knowing. Proceed with caution."

"Understood." Sam's acknowledgment was echoed by Jonas, and the radios went silent.

Max coughed up a few splatters of blood as Jack and Teal'c considered what to ask next. "I don't think... I can... last much longer," the scientist breathed. "On shelf... to your left... is case... with... leftover samples... of my serum. Also... as many samples... as I could... get... together... before caught." He gave a tiny smile. "And my journal."

Teal'c reached in and grabbed the metal box from the top shelf on the left side of the closet. He frowned when there didn't appear to be a way to open it. "Doctor MacDonald, there does not appear to be a way to remove the contents."

"Small mark... center of top. Thumbprint. Only... SG-1."

"What do you mean, only SG-1?" Jack asked.

"Programmed scan... only five thumbprints... accepted. SG-1."

Jack shared a look with the Jaffa then looked back at Max. "Can you tell us where to find any other information? Like details of the experiment, complete personnel lists, outside contacts, anything that might connect these people to the NID proper?"

Max nodded as his eyelids fell shut. "Already done. Encrypted... hidden... files. Major Carter... can find. Brought you... here."

"You thought of everything, didn't you?" Jack asked rhetorically, shaking his head.

"Only one... who would... talk." The prone man managed to pry open his eyes. "Save... the children?"

Before Jack could answer, his radio crackled to life again. "SG-niner, this is SG-one-five-niner. Looks like the last of the hostiles are down. Should be clear for SG-6 and medical."

The colonel grabbed his radio. "Roger that. SG-6, escort Fraiser's team in then help SG-15 sweep the place. We've got three upper levels and at least one lower, and I don't want any hostiles or surprises left behind."

"Yes, sir," Major Griff, commander of SG-6, replied sharply.

"I think I've reached the living quarters, Colonel," Jonas' voice reported. "But it's awfully quiet down here."

Max smiled when he heard the announcement, his eyes fluttering shut once again. "They were... taught to be... silent... unless spoken to. But... you... found them." With that, he sighed his last breath and died.

Jack shut his eyes and shook his head. Everything Max had told him proved he had been one of the good guys, and it wasn't fair that he wasn't going to see the results of his sacrifice. "Jonas, how are the kids?" he asked quietly as he felt a sturdy hand on his shoulder. He gave his Jaffa friend a look of gratitude.

"Just a second, Colonel. I have to finish prying the door..." There was a brief moment of silence before the Kelownan's voice was heard again. "Okay, I'm in. Now..." His words were cut off sharply by a loud gasp. "Oh my god. Oh my god. This is... oh my god. It's like the scientists... the radiation..." The transmission was cut off.

"Jonas? Jonas, what the hell is going on? Jonas, come in!" Jack barked, worry washing over him like a wave.

"Jonas Quinn, please respond," Teal'c repeated tensely into his radio after another moment of silence.

"Jonas, are you okay?" Sam's voice asked, deep concern more than apparent.

Jack grit his teeth and sprang to his feet, Teal'c letting go of his shoulder and smoothly following suit immediately after. "That's it. We're coming down there," he said into the radio.

Static crackled for a moment. "No, no, you don't have to do that," Jonas said breathlessly before swallowing quite audibly. "You really don't want to see this."

Jack noted Teal'c's raised eyebrow and mentally agreed with the barely-expressed confusion. "What is it, Jonas? What did you find?"

"They're dead, Colonel. The children are dead. I think those protocols had more punch left in them than Doctor MacDonald realized. They had to have." A deep breath being taken could be heard clearly. "It's not pretty."

"Shit," Jack whispered as Sam gasped. He sighed. "Did you hear that, Doc?"

"I heard," Janet's voice replied quietly. "I'll head there first to see what I can figure out."

"Take a right at the main hallway's first intersection. Jonas, why don't you meet her at the top of the stairs? Then you can help Carter with whatever technology she's come across. You don't have to go back down."

A puff of air blowing by the microphone echoed out from the radio's speaker. "No, I'll be okay. It'll go faster if I lead Doctor Fraiser's team directly to the right room. There are more doors down here than there were upstairs on this side of the building. I just... can't go back inside that particular room."

Two sets of brown eyes met and shared an understanding of the sentiment. "You don't have to," Jack told the younger man. "Once Fraiser's down there, why don't you check out the rest of those rooms? That way you'll be close enough if the doc needs you."

"Thank you, Colonel."

"We'll finish checking out these offices then meet you down there. Or do you need some help up here, Carter?"

Sam's somewhat shaky voice responded. "I'll eventually need help cataloguing what I've found and getting it all ready for transport back to the SGC, but for now I'm just taking it all in. We may have to get a hold of our allies again, sir. I think they're still missing a few things."

Jack sighed. Would it ever stop? "I'll let Hammond know."

"Oh, thinking of that, when you speak with him, could you have him send another transport truck up here for this? Most of the devices I'm seeing are relatively small, but a large truck is still in order I think." The colonel could hear the woman hiding behind her scientific find and couldn't fault her for the effort. He was doing the same behind the structure of command.

"It's only a four and a half hour drive. It'll probably take us longer to get everything ready. Consider it done, Major."

"Thank you, sir."

Teal'c moved over to the desk on the opposite wall from the closet and picked up the telephone. "There is no dial tone, O'Neill," he announced. "I believe we will be required to use our cellular telephones."

Jack nodded. "I figured as much, although getting a clear signal in the mountains is going to be tricky. Let's finish up this search then we'll give it a try. I don't want to leave Jonas alone too long." Teal'c bowed his head slightly in agreement, and the two of them proceeded to do so.

* * *

Jonas met Janet and her team at the base of the stairs. "Hi, Janet," he greeted her with a weak smile. 

She touched his arm gently. "Are you okay?"

"I will be. Let me lead you to that room. If you need anything else, I'll be checking out the other rooms and should be close enough to help."

"Thanks."

When they got to the mostly-open door, the doctor couldn't help but notice the mess to the left in the corner at the end of the hall. With a frown she realized the state of affairs was looking more and more bleak by the second. Seeing Jonas keep his eyes resolutely away from the doorway, she decided to let him off the hook as her team geared up for a possible hazardous situation. "I think we can take it from here, Jonas. Go ahead and look around. We'll be fine." Jonas nodded and headed to the next door down on his right.

The young man's brows creased in confusion when he opened the door and stepped inside the new room. There were sliding panel doors along most of the walls to his right and left, and a mirror covered the wall directing in front of him. Just in front of that mirror were two small, lightly-cushioned chairs facing each other. Jonas wasn't sure what the purpose of the room would be, so he slid open the first door to his right to reveal nothing but a large wooden box with a round opening on the top. A glance inside the hole revealed clumps of cloth. His sudden suspicions were confirmed when he opened the next door and found a rack of green, toddler-sized BDU pants.

This was a dressing room for the children. The first closet - on both sides Jonas confirmed after a quick check - held a hamper for the tiny pajamas. Then pants, BDU button-up shirts that matched, black T-shirts, a built-in dresser with ten drawers in two columns of five that held underwear and socks, and finally a shoe rack that held numerous pairs of plain black hi-top sneakers. Apparently they wouldn't graduate to combat boots until they were a little older. The only difference between the two sides was that the BDUs were green on the right and blue on the left. The chairs must be to let the kids sit down to put on the bottom half of their daily outfits.

Finding nothing of immediate value, Jonas moved on to the last room on that side of the hall. When he stepped inside, he instantly knew the purpose of the space. He'd seen classrooms for children numerous times on Kelowna, as well as pictures in books and articles about schools on Earth. There were two large but low round tables and twenty tiny desks to the right side of the room. Full bookshelves took up the far left-hand corner, while ten computers evenly spaced on a low, sturdy shelf with the appropriate number of small chairs before them took up the near corner. What separated this room from any of the other classrooms he'd seen before was the total lack of decoration, of recognition of accomplishments, individual or otherwise. There were no banners proclaiming an upcoming holiday, no splashes of color from a childish drawing of whatever animal they were studying that week. It was cold and sterile, and what disturbed Jonas the most was that he knew this was all for a group of three-year-olds. When did they get to play and do other things three-year-olds did? When did they get to be children? He wanted to know, especially now that he knew they'd never get the chance to make up for the lack.

Tears stinging his blue-green eyes, he stumbled across the hall to the first door to the right of the stairs that led to the main floors above. This was the commissary. There were five tables that each seated four with enough space between them to allow for easy travel while carrying a tray. A serving line like the one at the SGC was against the right hand wall, a sliding panel above it that suggested the kitchen was on the other side.

A few moments later Jonas had confirmed that suggestion. It was a modern space, the latest polished-steel models of all the important appliances gleaming in the dimmed lighting that was prevalent throughout the basement level so far. Before he could move on to the next room, a splash of color caught out of the corner of his eye in the otherwise black, white, and chrome-colored room demanded that he check more closely. There, behind the rack where quite a few pots and pans were hung, lay a male body in a large puddle of rapidly darkening blood. Rigor mortis had set in, although it hadn't completely stiffened the entire body. Jonas' eyes widened dramatically, and he reached for his radio without shifting his gaze. "Colonel? I found something else."

"What is it?" Jack asked distractedly, the sound of shuffling papers clear behind him.

"I found another body."

There was silence from the colonel. "Where?" Janet's voice asked quickly.

Jonas swallowed, finally able to tear his eyes away from the gruesome spectacle as he turned his back on it. "The kitchen. Second door down from the stairway across the hall from the bunkroom. But I don't think you need to hurry. He's been dead for a while. Gunshot to the chest."

"You just don't have any luck today, do you, Jonas?" Jack asked with resignation.

"Apparently not, Colonel."

"Are you okay?" Sam asked softly.

Jonas took a deep breath and released it. "I will be once we get away from here. I'm going to check the other rooms. It'll be easier if I keep moving."

Jack sighed. "If you're sure. You don't have to, you know."

"I know, and thank you. I'm going to get going. There was nothing else in either of the other two rooms on the side of the hall opposite the stairway, by the way. Just thought I'd let you know."

"Thanks for the update. Keep us posted. O'Neill out." The radio went dead.

Jonas shook his head and left the kitchen. He found a pantry through the next door, and the lack of anything out of the ordinary helped him regain his equilibrium. The last two doors on that side of the hall were bathrooms, again empty. That left the door at the end of the hall.

The brown-haired man slowly opened the door, immediately taking note of the bright white tiles covering the floor. There was a short mini-hallway that led to another door, with a door to either side just a few feet away. A quick inspection revealed two locker rooms complete with shower facilities, empty except for twenty towels and sets of pajamas in the lockers. Jonas then went to the final door, finding the inner workings of the building behind it.

He found the circuit breakers and a back-up generator, as well as a pair of hot water heaters. There was a large furnace, and plenty of pipes running along the ceiling and walls. Lastly, he found an industrial-sized washer and dryer tucked away in a corner along with a counter with a cabinet underneath next to a deep, dual-basined sink. Opening the cabinet doors he found laundry supplies and an iron before slight movement to his left behind the two appliances made him stiffen in dread.

"Come on, Jonas," he quietly berated himself. "If it's moving it can't be dead, now can it?"

He stepped slowly and deliberately toward the space between the washer and dryer, the last place he'd caught the movement. His hand couldn't help but hover over his holstered sidearm, a small part of him eager to run into the person who could do such a horrible thing to a group of innocent children. Harsh, high-pitched breathing managed to reach his ears over the hum of the different working systems when he finally got close enough to touch the metal casing of the two machines. "Hello?" he asked hesitantly. That breathing took away from the imaginings of a vicious killer waiting to pounce. It sounded close to hyperventilating. "Who's there?"

Jonas poked his head between the appliances and peered intensely into the shadows they produced. A tiny form in a black T-shirt and green BDU pants was barely visible peeking back, large blue eyes open wide and tiny toes on one bare, exposed foot curling and uncurling in a perceptual sign of fear and taut nerves. The man's jaw dropped. It looked like one of the kids had escaped after all.

"Hi there," he said soothingly once he'd recovered from his shock and knelt down so as not to tower over the tiny form. "My name is Jonas. Why don't you come out of there? I promise not to hurt you." There was no response. "I'm sure that can't be very comfortable back there. My friends and I came here to help you. Will you let me?" Again, nothing.

"Wonderful," he whispered to himself. "My luck obviously hasn't improved." He sighed and turned about ninety degrees away from the child. He wasn't quite willing to stand and give the impression he'd given up on the boy. "Colonel?" he queried into his radio. There was a brief burst of static then nothing. "Colonel, this is Jonas." More static. He looked around at the pipes and wires that surrounded him. "Obviously I'm running into radio interference," he muttered, lifting his left hand away from his radio and up to the bridge of his nose where he squeezed tightly, closing his eyes.

Jonas didn't know how long he'd allowed himself to wallow in self-pity - it _had_ been a long day so far, and it was only about noon - when a light touch to his shoulder drew his attention back to the present. He slowly turned his head and saw the little boy he'd been seeking next to him on his hands and knees, his right arm extended to lightly brush his fingers against the patch on the right shoulder of Jonas' uniform. The wide blue eyes were glued to it as well. "Well, hey there," Jonas said softly, not wanting to scare the child back into their previous stalemate. "You seem to like that patch. That's what my friends and I wear to tell everyone what team we're on. It's called SG-1. Pretty neat, huh?"

The boy finally looked him in the face at the sound of the team designation. He swallowed, swept his fingers across the patch one last time, and lifted his arms in a mute appeal to be held and carried. Jonas was floored by the apparently sudden turnaround, but wasn't willing to look a gift horse in the mouth. He gently took the boy into his arms and rose to his feet, a lump in his throat rising when the small head rested wearily against his shoulder. "Thank you for trusting me," Jonas whispered into the tiny ear, lightly brushing his cheek against the short blond hair. The boy merely sighed and shifted closer.

Jonas had just reentered the main hallway when his radio crackled to life. "Colonel, we're only counting nineteen bodies," Janet announced. "There's also a pair of toddler-sized socks by the bunkroom doors as well as a miniature green BDU shirt, both splattered with blood. I think the last child is wandering around out there."

"In this mess?" Jack replied incredulously.

"I haven't found anyone in the labs," Sam said.

"O'Neill and I have only discovered Doctor MacDonald in the administration offices," Teal'c added.

"There have only been adults so far amongst the soldiers that were defending this place," Major Kamrath said after a beat.

Jonas awkwardly fumbled for his radio while trying not to disturb his passenger. "I've got him," he finally managed to transmit. "He was hiding in the utility space down here."

There was a small gasp. "Is he all right?" Janet asked.

The brown-haired man leaned against the wall to the right of the bunkroom doors. "You can come check him. I'm just outside where you are."

"So that's where you ended up," Janet said a few moments later when she appeared at the bunkroom doors pulling on a fresh pair of latex gloves. "I poked my head out about five minutes ago, but I couldn't see or hear where you'd gone."

"I hope you didn't try the radio. There was nothing but interference where I was."

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't want to interrupt your search." The auburn-haired woman looked up at the child her friend held. "He's a beautiful child," she murmured. "Do we know his name?"

Jonas shook his head. "He hasn't said anything. I didn't even think I was going to be able to get him to come out from behind the washer and dryer where I found him. But something about my SG-1 patch fascinated him and he came out on his own." His expression became stricken. "Is he going to get sick from the radiation, too?"

Janet blinked. "Radiation? There was no radiation here. Anything strong enough to kill this many people this quickly would have registered on our equipment before we moved in, and no one's registered anything since."

"Then what... what killed them?" he whispered. He noted the lack of reaction from the child in his arms. "And what's wrong with him?"

"Shock would be my guess. From the footprints and clothing we found inside," Janet explained, gesturing toward the room she'd just come out of, "I'd say he was in the bunkroom when the others died." She reached out and brushed a gentle hand across the boy's cheek. "I think I'll save my guesses on what happened for later. For now, I'm just going to check a few things and make sure he's not injured."

The once-over, limited by the lack of participation from the patient and proper facilities, gave Janet enough confidence that the tiny blond would be fine until they got back to Cheyenne Mountain. "I'll be able to do the in-depth tests I'll need there, but for now I'd have to say there's nothing physically wrong with him. We'll be able to put a name to the face once I've done a DNA comparison." She frowned slightly. "Although I have a niggling suspicion..."

Jonas shifted the boy in his arms slightly as his brows furrowed. "Who do you think this is?" he asked.

"I can't be sure, and I really don't want to guess at this point. Take him upstairs, keep him warm, and talk to him. Make sure he stays connected to reality. He's not completely catatonic and it's best if it stays that way."

"He's not? It sure seems that way."

"He's holding you. Not very tightly, I admit, but his hand is hooked over your shoulder. That and," she paused a moment as the child shifted minutely in a delayed reaction to Jonas' motion, "he's reacting to stimuli, however sluggishly. With time, he'll come back to us."

Jonas nodded. "I see. I think I'll go grab some extra clothes from the dressing room before I take him upstairs, especially socks and a button-up shirt. Thanks, Janet."

The diminutive doctor smiled. "Any time. Now go. You'll both feel better once you do." Her expression faded to one of concern once the traumatized pair was out of sight. "At least, I hope so," she finished her thought quietly, then returned to her team in the bunkroom.


	2. Chapter 2

After collecting a few changes of clothes in case it wasn't possible to go shopping for the young boy in the next couple of days, Jonas checked on the state of things in the rest of the building. Sam was cataloging the alien technology she'd found with Teal'c and SG-6's help, Jack was checking on SG-11 and 17 and their perimeter after having made arrangements for the devices and the bodies to be transported back to the SGC and all traces of the experiment eliminated, and SG-15 was patrolling the inside of the building in case it held any more surprises. Major Kamrath had reported the second floor of the three story structure had a clean rec room and was secure, so Jonas decided to take the child he'd found up there to wait for everyone to be ready to return to Cheyenne Mountain.

The boy resisted being put down on the couch by himself, so Jonas set down the bag Janet had given him to put the clothes in and settled them both in the sofa's matching recliner. The little blond snuggled against his shoulder, and the Kelownan couldn't resist laying his cheek against the soft short hair. A few quiet minutes later, the only sound the two of them breathing, Jonas was surprised to find his arms begin to shake, the rest of his body following soon after. Glancing down to see if the boy had noticed, the young man's mind could only make the connection that he was holding the only survivor of a horrible massacre. This child, out of twenty altogether, had managed to walk away from the bloody mess he had found physically unharmed. And the thought of what the boy had escaped brought back image after image of the bunkroom and the aftermath of the naquadria reactor accident on Kelowna, flipping past his mind's eye like a sick and morbid slide show.

Jonas never noticed when the tiny child turned wide, scared eyes up to his then slipped out of his lap and over to the couch where he curled into a compact ball on the furthest overstuffed cushion, bright blue orbs never leaving the older man's quivering form. The Kelownan folded in on himself, the side of his youthful face pressing unknowingly against the arm of the chair and his blue-green eyes staring sightlessly straight ahead, only aware of the never-ending loop of images his brain insisted on replaying. Tears silently ran down his cheeks.

The tears were the catalyst for his recovery. He'd never know how long he was lost in his downward-spiraling thoughts, but the feel of a light touch against his sensitive moist skin eventually broke through and he began to blink furiously. When he finally started to register his surroundings again, Jonas found himself looking at a mystified youngster, tiny fingers tracing the watery tracks along his exposed left cheek. He could almost hear the "why" in the child's expression.

"It hurt to see what had happened to your friends," Jonas whispered softly, not moving in hopes that he wouldn't scare the boy too much. "I had friends who looked like that when they died, and it made me think of them. None of them should have died the way they did."

The boy looked him in the eye as he talked, his hand never moving from his cheek. When Jonas finished speaking, the summer blue eyes dropped to the floor. The next moment his shoulders drooped, and the rest of his body followed suit, ending up in a seated slump. A tiny sad frown marred the rounded features.

"It's okay to cry," Jonas breathed.

With that, the floodgates opened. Silent sobs racked the tiny frame. It wasn't long before the boy flopped over onto his side and pulled himself into a fetal position, his knees tucked tightly under his chin with his arms clasped around them like they'd never let go. Jonas quietly slid from the chair and knelt by the boy's side, a hand reaching out to ever-so-gently rub the trembling back. He said nothing. He knew there was nothing to say.

As the boy finally started to calm down, footsteps heralded the arrival of one of the others. Jonas looked up and saw the sympathetic features of Sam Carter looking down on them. "I just came up to let you know we're ready to go," she said softly.

Her words were like a lightning strike. At the sound of them, the small child sat bolt upright, shaking, before scrambling up against Jonas, his little arms wrapping tightly around the man's waist and his face pressed firmly against the vest-covered stomach. Bright, red-rimmed eyes stared at the newcomer warily.

Sam jumped back at the sudden movement. "Whoa, I didn't mean to scare you," she said hurriedly.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," Jonas said soothingly, again rubbing the boy's back. "This is my friend Sam. She's on my team with me." He looked up at the standing woman. "He seemed fascinated by my SG-1 patch when I found him," he explained. "That's what drew him out of his hiding place."

"I see." Sam knelt down to be eye to eye with the little one. "Hi there," she greeted him with a wide smile. The expression quickly morphed into one of utter surprise. "Oh my god," she whispered.

Jonas looked at her, concerned. "What is it? Did I miss something?"

She shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away from the blue orbs that had entranced her. "No, no, it's nothing you missed. At least... how could you have known?"

Blue-green eyes narrowed. "What couldn't I have known?"

"This boy's eyes... they're Daniel's eyes. I think this boy is... Daniel."

* * *

After Sam's declaration, the child burrowed his face in Jonas' stomach, only shifting it to the man's shoulder when he was lifted and carried to the waiting transport truck. The two of them sat in the back corner of the vehicle's bed, Teal'c to their left and Sam across from them. Jack was riding with the scientific team that had come up to retrieve the alien devices Sam had found in the labs. "Do you think you'll be able to learn anything from..." Sam asked the diminutive doctor sitting next to her, her words trailing off out of respect for her younger teammate and the boy that clung to him. 

"Most likely," Janet replied, subdued. She sighed and shook off the bad feeling she had about performing a task she knew would be unpleasant. "Where's the colonel?"

"He said something about wanting to watch over our new toys," Jonas offered softly, hoping the boy he held was asleep. He had a feeling he was hoping for the impossible.

"He was kind of short with us about it," Sam said with a confused frown.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "O'Neill became stiff and unemotional as soon as Major Carter told him of her suspicions regarding the young boy Jonas Quinn discovered. It was then he made his decision to travel with the second vehicle."

Sam and Janet gave each other a look. "You don't think he's going to keep acting that way, do you?" the auburn-haired woman asked warily.

The blonde shook her head. "I have a feeling it was more surprise than anything. He loves kids. You saw how he reacted to Merrin and the child the Reetou called Mother brought here. And that's nothing to how he is with Cassie."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Have you not noticed the similarities in features between the boy and O'Neill's son?"

There was a long moment of silence as that fact sank in. "This could be a problem," Sam conceded.

Janet gave the other three a rueful half-smile. "To quote the colonel, ya think?"

Things got busy once everyone got back to the SGC. Janet had everybody report to the infirmary to make sure the destruction protocols that had been activated had truly been rendered inert by Doctor MacDonald. The petite physician chose to check the little boy they'd brought with them first, because he had the most tests to go through and out of hopes that he could eventually be put into an isolation room and away from all the hustle and bustle that she was sure he wouldn't be used to.

"So how is he?" Sam asked as she stepped over to the bed where Jonas held the boy on his lap, her examination being complete.

"Like I found at the site, physically fine, but I've sent some blood samples to the lab for more in-depth tests, including DNA. Now I just need to check out Jonas." Janet leaned over and looked the child in the eyes. "Sweetheart, I need you to move out of Jonas' lap for a little bit so I can check him over like I just checked you. Can you do that for me?" The boy just burrowed his face deeper into the Kelownan's chest and squeezed his arms tighter around him.

"I don't think that's going to work," Jonas choked out, reaching up to loosen up the grip threatening to cut off his oxygen supply. Once he'd been successful, he pulled his head back so he could meet the wide blue gaze. "I promise you'll be just fine. Doctor Fraiser just wants to make sure I will be too." The boy's head dropped and leaned against the man's chest.

Sam sighed. "I don't think he's moving voluntarily. Of course, he's been pretty traumatized."

Janet nodded. "That's why I'm hesitant to sedate him."

The physicist's breath caught and she turned to face her friend completely. "Janet, you can't!" Shock turned up her volume so that people on the beds nearest them looked to see what was causing such a fuss. Sam blushed.

"Sam, I never said I was going to," Janet replied.

Sam's shout made the boy jump slightly and turn to face the source of the noise. He stiffened and his eyes went wide when he saw the patch on her shoulder, his right hand reaching out almost involuntarily for it. "Sam, don't move," Jonas gasped when he noticed.

The blonde head turned to see what her teammate was talking about just in time to see and feel the little fingers brush the patch. "Yeah, I'm on SG-1 like Jonas," she said gently. She smiled when the boy lifted his eyes to meet hers, his arm dropping to Jonas' lap. "Will you let me take care of you like he does?" After a long moment of silence, he gave a single nod.

There was a universal breath of relief released by the nervous trio, and Sam picked the child up, holding him close. The little blond head settled into the crook of her neck almost immediately, an arm looping around to loosely hook his hand on the opposite shoulder. Sam couldn't help but smile at the warm feeling that washed over her at the expression of trust.

"Doc, Carter, Jonas," Jack said as a preamble as he and Teal'c joined the four of them. His face was still mostly closed off, but the rest of his attitude seemed to be gone. "I see our latest visitor has expanded his horizons a bit." The silver-haired man gestured toward the child in Sam's arms.

"Janet needed to examine Jonas," Sam explained. "After he saw my team designation patch he was willing to let me take him."

"I see," Teal'c murmured, then moved in front of where the boy was staring off into space. The Jaffa waited until the blue eyes blinked and looked up, acknowledging his presence. "Greetings, little one," he said gently. "I wish you to know you are safe, as I and O'Neill are also members of the same team as Jonas Quinn and Major Carter." He shifted his stance so his right shoulder was facing the child. "O'Neill," Teal'c called softly as tiny fingers once again reached out for the embroidered chevron, "I believe you should introduce yourself. The child may feel safer if he knows all of Jonas Quinn's team."

Jack shot the big man a glare that was rebutted with a raised eyebrow. He sighed. "Fine," the colonel said in resignation. He took Teal'c's place once the small hand had returned to Sam's shoulder. "Hey there, sport. How ya doin'?" The other adults were surprised at the total change in demeanor, especially the smile. "The name's Jack O'Neill. I'm the leader of this bunch." He tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, revealing his insignia. "See? There's proof. Well, maybe not that I'm the leader, but they won't let me put colonel anywhere on my uniform." Brown eyes darted over his teammates. "Not that I haven't wanted it there on occasion," he grumbled.

Again a questing hand brushed curiously against the stiff thread and fabric that made up the SG-1 team patch. Then blue eyes looked up, met the brown ones considering them, and closed with a soul-deep sigh. The child's body went limp with the exhalation of air. "He's asleep," Sam said quickly, a touch of awe in her voice. The others relaxed.

"Well, I'm finished here," Janet announced. "I'll know for sure when I get the blood tests back, but I think you'll be just fine, Jonas. Now why don't we find a nice, quiet place for our little visitor to rest, and we can all get ready for General Hammond's debriefing." The members of SG-1 followed the doctor out of the main examination room.

* * *

"From the preliminary results, I'd say the child was perfectly healthy," Janet said in the briefing room two and a half hours later, about halfway through the debriefing. "He's sleeping at the moment in one of the isolation rooms." 

"Do you know who he's a clone of?" Hammond asked from his customary seat at the head of the table.

The petite woman shared a look with Sam. "Not officially. But some of his features are suggestive of Daniel Jackson."

The bald man's pale blue eyes blinked in surprise. "I see," he said, his shock not coming out in his voice only because of his training and years of experience. "When will you know for sure?"

"My people in the labs have it on top priority along with the rest of his blood work," Janet answered with a considering nod. "Twenty-four to thirty-six hours from now if everything goes smoothly."

"We really need to find out the kid's name," Jonas said, frowning. "I mean, even though most of the people involved with the experiment looked on the children as merely test subjects, they were hoping to eventually integrate them into the program. They'd need names for that."

"Until he opens up enough to tell us, there's not much we can do," Sam said.

Jack made a little gesture that caught everyone's attention. "What I want to know is if you found out what happened to the _other_ kids."

Janet paled slightly, but managed to hold onto her professional mask. "Based on preliminary data we've gotten from our examination of the... bodies..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'd say there was massively accelerated genetic degradation. There were only three bodies recognizable as such, my guess being that the degradation started in a place that caused death before the entire body could be compromised. The rest..." The woman flinched.

"You wouldn't want to see the rest," Jonas said quietly.

"Do you have any idea what caused it?" Sam asked gently. "Doctor MacDonald's notes stated that the genetic degradation had only just started. What would make it accelerate this way?"

"Your guess is as good as mine at this point. I just don't have enough information yet."

"What is to be done with the child in the intervening time?" Teal'c asked.

Janet considered it for a moment. "Well, I think the isolation room is the safest bet for the time being. As soon as I get the test results back I'm hoping to be able to move him to one of the VIP rooms."

Hammond nodded. "I'll see about finding a family with proper clearance in the meantime."

Janet shook her head. "With all due respect, sir, he's not ready for that. I'd like to bring in a professional to observe him for a while, give us some suggestions on how to handle him. But up to this point the only people he's responded to have been the members of SG-1. If they could be spared for a while to help his transition, it would probably make life easier. They're already confined to base for the next two days so I can monitor for any surprises the rogue NID group might have left behind."

"And we're _so_ happy about that," Jack muttered.

"All right, Doctor," Hammond said with a decisive nod, ignoring his second in command, "we'll do it that way. SG-1, you can figure out for yourselves how you're going to handle our guest. Major Carter, have you managed to get any more information from the notes Doctor MacDonald left for you?"

"I'm afraid not, sir. While I have a head start on cracking the encryption, there's still quite a bit of work ahead of me. My computer's working on it as we speak."

Hammond nodded again. "Let me know as soon as you find out anything. I'll expect your written reports by fifteen hundred tomorrow. Good work, people. Dismissed." He stood and left the room.

Janet looked at the four members of the team before her as they all stood. "I think one of you should head down to the isolation room. I don't know when he's going to wake up, and I'd hate for him to wake up alone."

Jonas' eyes dropped. "I... I think I need a little bit more of a break. The debriefing brought up some things I thought I'd dealt with."

"Go ahead, Jonas," Sam said quickly. "I'll grab my laptop and what I've got printed of Doctor MacDonald's notes and go. It's not a problem."

"Are you certain, Major Carter? It would not be an inconvenience for me to sit with the boy," Teal'c offered.

She smiled. "No, that's okay. I don't mind. Besides, aren't you scheduled to teach that hand-to-hand class tomorrow morning? I don't want you to miss out on any sleep."

Jack slapped the Jaffa on the shoulder with a smirk. "Yeah, and this batch is a bunch of new Marines. They're going to need a dose of reality, Jaffa style. Gotta be well rested so you can get the most enjoyment out of the experience."

"Thinking of rested, I'll move a second bed into the room with him," Janet said. "Just lay down whenever you start to feel tired, okay, Sam?"

"I will, Janet. And I have a feeling it won't be long. It's been a busy day."

"You can say that again," Jack said as he led everyone out of the briefing room. They each then left for their separate tasks.

* * *

When the little boy that had caused such excitement opened his eyes a few hours later, he found he was staring at a featureless stone wall. This didn't alarm him, as he was used to it, having done so on numerous occasions in the bunkroom at... 

Tears filled the wide blue eyes upon remembering what had happened to the rest of the children that had lived with him in that bunkroom. He rolled over to escape what was making him cry and found another bed with a figure curled facing him under the blankets fast asleep, stopping his tears in their tracks. It was the lady that was part of SG-1, Major Carter, although he remembered people calling her Sam. She had smelled very nice when she'd held him so very close. He decided he liked her.

He lay there and watched Sam sleep for a long time, finding the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest soothing. Her pale skin glowed somewhat in the dim lighting, her sunlight-colored hair even more so. The blonde strands that were lighter than his own captivated him. There had only been two adult women that had ever been at the institution, and both had dark hair, almost black. In fact, her hair was almost an exact match for his teammate Samantha's, except it was a little darker. He'd always liked Samantha's hair. It was so bright when everything else was dull and drab.

Samantha had laid in her bunk across from his when they'd been told to return there after getting dressed that morning. No one understood why they weren't allowed to go to breakfast. She looked at him with wide blue-grey eyes and said that her chest hurt. Soon after that she tensed up and gasped, her eyes squeezing shut, and then didn't take another breath. It was like she was sleeping, except she wasn't breathing.

The boy bit his lower lip, suddenly scared. What if that happened to Sam? What if it already had and he'd missed it remembering Samantha? He scrambled to the floor and padded over to the other bed on sock-covered feet. Once he was close enough he could hear the soft puffs of air go in and out of her lungs, he relaxed, his shoulders drooping and his chin dropping to his chest. That had been too close.

When he brought his head up again, he found himself meeting a bleary blue-grey gaze. "Is something wrong?" Sam asked gently, bringing a hand up and rubbing the center of her chest for a moment.

The boy's eyes froze there. Her chest? Did Sam's chest hurt too? He didn't want her to stop breathing like Samantha had. He reached out a shaking hand and touched where the woman had been rubbing, his eyes darting to hers, fear darkening them to a rich sapphire blue.

She looked at him, confused, for a long moment, then realization dawned. "I'm okay, kiddo. I was just scratching my chest a bit. There's nothing to worry about. I'm just fine." Sam ran a hand through his hair and gave him a soft smile. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

The child's hand dropped to the bed as he sagged a bit in relief. Sam's chest didn't hurt. She was okay. So why was she sorry? He brought his hand up again and lightly touched her cheek to let her know there was nothing to be sorry for. As long as she was okay it didn't matter that he'd been scared. Her smile changed slightly and told him she understood.

He was about to go back to his bed when Sam took his hand and squeezed. "Did you want to climb in and sleep with me? That way you don't have to be alone."

His eyes widened. He didn't have to be alone? But he was supposed to be alone, that's what he'd always been told. Was it different now? What would not being alone really be like? He suddenly needed to know. And so, with a nervous swallow, he squeezed Sam's hand in return, hoping she'd understand his desire. From the smile his action produced, he guessed she did. That guess was confirmed a moment later when Sam sat up, reached down, and lifted him up to sit next to her.

"Is that better?" she asked, holding him next to her. He looked up at her for a moment then laid his head against her side. She still smelled nice, even after all this time. "I'll take that as a yes," she said, a smile apparent in her tone. He could just see the way her eyes would crinkle as the corners of her mouth turned upward, even as she maneuvered them both into a lying position on the bed's pillows. She covered them both with the light blanket she had recently been curled up under and rested her cheek against the top of his head. "I hope sometime soon you'll be able to trust me enough to be able to talk to me, or at the very least tell me your name. Good night, kiddo." With that Sam planted a kiss near his hairline and snuggled in to try to get back to sleep.

But the boy couldn't sleep. Sam thought he didn't trust her? She was one of an extremely small number of people he _did_ trust. He just wasn't ready to reach out to anyone yet. It hurt too much. He'd watched too many of the others reach out right before they died, with all the blood and the cries and the noise and the pain... He shuddered and nestled closer to Sam, a feeling of warmth lessening the blow of his memories, however slightly, when she hugged him briefly with the arm she'd left draped over his waist. He swallowed nervously one more time, gathering up his courage. Sam made him feel better, so he could do this, even if it was just this once for now. He turned his head up slightly and took a deep breath. "Daniel," he whispered. "I'm called Daniel."

Daniel felt Sam stiffen for a brief moment before hugging him closer, her cheek firmly planted on the top of his head. "Th-thank you, Daniel," she said in a broken whisper. "That means... a lot to me. I'm glad you can trust me." Daniel merely smiled and nodded. He had made Sam happy, and that was enough to let him slip back into slumber.

* * *

When Teal'c entered small Daniel's room the next morning after his hand-to-hand class he found the boy and Sam finishing breakfast together on the second bed that had been brought in. "Good morning, little one, Major Carter," he offered in greeting when the two blondes looked up from their meal. 

"Good morning, Teal'c," Sam replied with a smile. "How did your class go?"

"The new recruits require further training before they should be allowed off-world. However, I believe they have much potential."

Sam nodded. "The usual, then." She swallowed down the last of her orange juice and finished the remaining piece of toast. "Would you be willing to keep our friend Daniel here company this morning while I check on the progress of one of my experiments? I don't want him to be lonely." She turned her head to smile at the slightly nervous looking child and ran a gentle hand through his hair. "You'll be all right with Teal'c, won't you, Daniel?" He looked up at her for a long moment then sighed and nodded once.

Teal'c gave the child a respectful bow. "I am honored to be able to entertain you, Daniel." Wide blue eyes met his brown ones then dropped to the small lap.

Sam stood and pushed the table they'd been using away from the bed. "He needs to take a shower and brush his teeth," she told her teammate as she headed for the door. "One of Janet's nurses brought in some books along with a sketch pad and crayons about an hour ago, and Janet herself has the spare clothes Jonas grabbed yesterday in her office. Thanks, Teal'c."

"As I said previously, it is an honor, Major Carter." The Jaffa gave her a small smile and slight inclination of the head before she left with one last farewell for the both of them. He turned to back face his tiny charge. "Are you prepared to begin the day's activities, young Daniel?" The boy took a deep breath before sliding off the bed he'd been sitting on and offering up a hand with only a tiny bit of hesitation. Teal'c waited until the smaller figure's eyes rose to meet his, then smiled again and took the extended appendage.

An hour and a half later, the Jaffa sat and watched as his charge concentrated on drawing something in the sketch pad with a focus uncommon in one so young. Teal'c couldn't help but contemplate the behavior he'd witnessed that morning as he'd escorted Daniel to the infirmary to pick up the boy's spare clothes then to the showers and back to the little one's isolation room. As soon as they'd begun to encounter other people, the child had almost physically withdrawn, practically hugging Teal'c's leg and not raising his gaze from the floor directly in front of his feet. He hadn't responded at all to Doctor Fraiser's greeting nor to any of the nurses who tried to talk to him. But as soon as they were alone in the locker room and again in the isolation room, he visibly relaxed, looking up briefly when spoken to and even seeking permission with a glance when Teal'c had placed the overtop table in front of him as he sat on the bed, the pad and package of crayons resting on the glossy top.

Daniel drew for another half hour then put away his crayons and looked at Teal'c with a shyly expectant expression. When the Jaffa lifted an eyebrow in question, the boy tapped the sheet of paper and pushed it slightly toward him. Teal'c set aside the magazine he'd been looking through and rose from his chair, taking the few steps to stand next to the bed. He looked down at the colorful drawing.

On the right-hand side of the page was a small boy with short yellow hair, blue eyes, and a tiny smile. Holding the figure's left hand was a taller woman with lighter yellow hair, blue-grey eyes, and wearing olive drab BDUs. Holding the right hand was a taller man with light brown hair and blue-green eyes, also wearing olive green BDUs. Behind the small figure was a huge dark brown-skinned man with a gold oval in the middle of his forehead. Just to the right of the man holding the child's hand was another man, this one with light grey hair and brown eyes, a distant expression on his face. The five of them stood above an amazing recreation of the embroidered SG-1 team designation patch. It was obviously what had been the focus of the child's efforts.

In the middle of the page were three small bodies, two colored in white instead of the un-PC flesh color and the third a dirty mix of brown and grey. Their eyes were closed, and they lay horizontal with their hands crossed over their chests. One had long light yellow hair, one short brown, and the last even shorter black. Beyond them, on the left hand side of the page, a man with short brown hair and grey-green eyes and wearing a white lab coat stood looking over to the right-hand side of the picture smiling.

Teal'c looked from the picture to the boy who'd drawn it. Daniel was staring at him, waiting for his reaction. "This is very well done, Daniel. Do you wish me to place it somewhere it can be seen readily?"

Daniel shook his head and dropped his gaze back to the crayon-colored image. Finally, he picked it up and held it out to the ever-patient Jaffa. "You wish me to have the picture?" Teal'c asked, a bit surprised. Daniel nodded, one corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Then I accept your gift. I will place it in a position of honor in my quarters." Teal'c knew he'd said the right thing when he saw the child relax another fraction.

The next moment there was a knock at the door. "Hey, Teal'c," Jack said as he poked his head around the door he'd opened a crack. The colonel was surprised to see the boy relax when he saw who his latest visitor was. "Um, you guys busy?"

"We are not. Please join us."

"Okay." Jack stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath and released it, then made his way over to the bed. "So what have you two been up to this morning?"

"Daniel and Major Carter had just finished breakfast when I arrived after my instruction of the new Marine recruits." Teal'c paused when he saw Jack's suddenly pale complection. "Are you well, O'Neill?"

Jack swallowed hard. "Did you say Daniel?"

A black eyebrow rose. "Indeed I did. Apparently Major Carter discovered the boy's name prior to my arrival this morning. She referred to him as Daniel."

"Figures," Jack muttered, his eyes closing for a moment. He quickly shook his head and reopened his eyes, his gaze settling on the child watching him a touch warily from his seat on the bed. "So, you about ready for lunch?" His casual tone was only slightly forced.

Daniel stared at the silver-haired man carefully for a long moment before nodding. He slid off the bed and moved to stand close to Teal'c's leg, cautiously watching Jack. When the man finally held out a hand, a muted pain visible only in his eyes, the boy gave in to the emotion he saw in the darkening orbs and grasped the offering tentatively. The three of them then left for the commissary.

"Is this wise, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as they entered the base cafeteria. Daniel had immediately gripped both Jack's hand and Teal'c's pant leg so hard his knuckles had turned white.

"Fraiser said it would be best to get him used to dealing with the kind of traffic there is around here," Jack explained as he wiggled his fingers a bit. Daniel shot him a startled look and began to let go, but as soon as he loosened his grip Jack gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, not releasing it. The child's lips twitched upward into the briefest of smiles then relaxed his hand. His nervousness didn't improve, however.

"Then it is well Doctor Fraiser instructed you to join us for our midday meal," Teal'c said with a small nod of his head, leading the way toward the serving line. Jack shot him a scowl for figuring out the real reason he was with them.

Between the Jaffa and Jack, the three of them got enough food for them all dispersed relatively evenly on two trays then went to a table in the far corner, ignoring the looks they'd been getting since they walked in the room. Daniel had the seat in the actual corner, Teal'c to his right and Jack directly across from him. The positioning made his jaw unclench at the very least.

Most of the meal went on without any conversation until they were almost finished. "Fraiser's going to be contacting a friend of hers, a psychologist who specializes in trauma victims. Guess she's got decent security clearance. Hammond's making sure it's good enough, but that might take until the end of the week."

"Do you agree with this course of action, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, hearing a tone of reluctance in his team leader's voice.

"As long as it's not MacKenzie, yeah, I'm all right with it. Never have been a big fan of shrinks, but I understand the need for them from time to time." Jack looked over at Daniel, who had glanced up at his two guardians during their discussion even as he continued to ignore the rest of his surroundings. "We just want to make sure you're okay, kiddo, and that you're going to stay that way." The corners of Daniel's mouth twitched upward for a moment before the child's eyes dropped back to his plate.

The remainder of the conversation then turned to the session Teal'c had led the new Marines through that morning, then the two adults cleared the table and escorted Daniel back to his room. The boy's relief when the door closed behind them was practically palpable. He was quickly set up with his pad of paper and crayons, and Jack sat on the opposite bed with Teal'c standing nearby and watched over him, talking about random subjects from time to time. When the colonel left an hour later, he was no more comfortable with the boy they'd managed to save, but he was hopeful that he could be brought out of his shell and grow up normally. Jack didn't think it was too much to ask.

* * *

A week later, SG-1 was called into the briefing room where Hammond and Janet were waiting for them. "Take your seats, SG-1," Hammond instructed once they'd arrived. "I've just received word that the psychologist we've called in, a Doctor Sabrina Marconi, has passed the first checkpoint and should be joining us very soon. She's been fully briefed as we're sure from the files Doctor MacDonald left us that Daniel knows all about the Stargate Program." 

"But we don't even know if he'll talk to her," Jack protested.

"No, we don't," Janet agreed, "but if anyone can get through to him, Sabrina can. It probably won't be anytime soon, but she also needs to know because of the circumstances of his upbringing."

"Not to mention Teal'c and myself," Jonas added. "Since Daniel's really only responding to us, I have a feeling we're going to be important in helping him."

Janet nodded. "Exactly."

Jack sighed. "Well, as long as she's got clearance," he said grudgingly.

Hammond gave him an understanding smile. "She works for the CIA, Colonel. It wasn't difficult to get her the clearance she needed."

"And we're sure there are no connections to the NID?" Sam asked.

"As sure as we can be," the general assured her. "We'll be keeping an eye on her just in case, however."

A short while later, the general's aide announced the arrival of Doctor Marconi. He then held the door open for a woman of average height and obvious Italian heritage with long black hair pulled back into a French braid and wearing a cream-colored, long-sleeved blouse, rich brown dress slacks, a vest with a mottled, Earth-toned pattern, and brown dress shoes. In her left hand she carried a thin briefcase. "Doctor Marconi, a pleasure to meet you," Hammond greeted her, gesturing to the chair next to Jonas and across from Janet as his aide closed the door. "I'm General George Hammond. Welcome to the SGC."

The newcomer smiled and took the seat offered, gently placing her briefcase on the table slightly to her left. "Thank you, General. The feeling's mutual. I must admit I'm looking forward to seeing what I can of the base. What I've read about what you do here has peaked my curiosity."

"No offense, Doctor Marconi, but that's not what we brought you in for," Jack said shortly, nearly glaring at her with a cold, narrow gaze.

"Of course not," Sabrina replied easily. "But one can hope there'll be at least _some_ time for a short tour." A dark eyebrow rose as she eyed up the colonel and took in his attitude.

Hammond quickly made introductions. "We decided to leave Daniel in his room for the time being," he said when he was finished.

Sabrina nodded returning her attention to the head of the table. "I think that's for the best."

Janet leaned forward. "So what's your plan for treatment?" she asked.

"I have no idea yet," the Italian woman said with a smile. "But what I plan on doing," she continued quickly, sobering as she saw the sudden darkening of Jack's expression, "is observe him for the next two weeks while I research his background and interview those people who regularly interact with him. I want to get a good feel as to where he is and where he came from before I make any kind of guesses as to where he should go from here. This is a unique case. I don't want to screw up."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sam asked from Jonas' right.

The psychologist smiled at her. "If you would all make yourselves available, I'd like to talk to each of you about what you saw at the laboratory and what happened there, not to mention your interaction with Daniel over the last week." She looked at Hammond. "That would go for the rest of the teams that were part of the rescue mission, if that's possible."

Hammond nodded. "Of course, Doctor."

"When will our presence be required?" Teal'c asked.

"I'm not sure at the moment. If it's all right with you, I'll get settled into my quarters here on base and figure out a schedule. I'll let everyone know what I come up with as soon as I'm done." She smiled when the Jaffa merely inclined his head in agreement.

"As long as you realize we're not going to just be at your beck and call. We do actually do work around here."

Sabrina stared unflinchingly into Jack's hard gaze for a long silent moment. "Colonel O'Neill," she finally said softly, "I'm not here to dig around in your head, ferret out anyone's secrets, or get in the way of what you do here. I'm here to help a child who has gone through an amazing and traumatic experience so we can all figure out to the best of our ability what's in his best interest for the future. I'm going to ask you as nicely as I can not to fight me on this. I know I'm a stranger here, an outsider, and that you don't have the best track record with people like me, but that child is my focus, my goal. I'll do whatever it takes to help him - and that's all I'm going to do. And you're just going to have to take my word on all that."

Jack's shoulders relaxed slightly at the woman's pronouncement. "As long as we're clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems. I'll cooperate."

The psychologist smiled suddenly. "Good. Then we'll all get along."

"Now that that's settled, I'll have an airman show you to your quarters, Doctor Marconi," Hammond said as he rose to his feet. The rest of the table quickly followed suit. "The rest of you can return to your duties until such time as Doctor Marconi calls on you. Dismissed."


	3. Chapter 3

ANs: Wow. Just wow. Thanks to everyone who's been reading this one, and special thanks to everyone who's left a review. I'm glad you're liking this story, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the ride.

* * *

Doctor Marconi spent the next two days doing her research and observing Daniel via the security camera in the VIP room he'd been moved to after Janet's tests had cleared him medically. Jonas made his way to the psychologist's own VIP room after that time per her request. He knocked at her door, entering smoothly at the muffled invitation. "You're ready for me, Doctor Marconi?" he asked as he shut the door behind himself. 

The Italian woman looked up from the folder she was looking through at the suite's table and smiled. "Of course, Mister Quinn. Please, take a seat." She gestured toward the empty chair across from her.

"You can call me Jonas," the Kelownan told her as he took the invitation.

"Thank you, Jonas. If it would make you feel more comfortable, you can call me Sabrina as well." Her smile widened a bit when her visitor nodded. "So how have things been going for you the past week or so?"

Jonas shrugged. "I've been all right. I've been helping with a translation on of the SG teams brought back, so I've been busy."

Sabrina nodded, pulling out an empty notepad from underneath the folder in front of her. She placed it aside and refocused on Jonas. "How often have you visited with Daniel?"

The young man considered it for a moment. "Well, I think it averages out to about once or twice a day. Most of the time it's just sitting with him while he reads or draws something. He hasn't been talking."

"Has he ever initiated physical contact while he's been at the SGC?"

"With me? A few times, like when I went to take him to dinner last night he offered his hand to me so I could hold it on the way to the commissary. Nothing affectionate like a hug or anything like that." Jonas blinked. "Does that mean there's something wrong with him? Is there some kind of brain damage from whatever killed the other children?"

"Hold it, hold it," Sabrina said quickly. "There's nothing physically wrong with Daniel. Doctor Fraiser would have told you if there was. I'm just trying to compare what you've experienced of his behavior with what I've observed while I've been here. There's nothing to be scared of. Daniel's fine."

Jonas flinched. "Right, right. Sorry about that."

The psychologist watched him for a long moment. "I know my focus while I'm here is Daniel," she said finally, "but if you need to talk to somebody I'm more than willing to listen. I can promise my shoulder is as objective as I can make it and my ear isn't judgmental in the least." She smiled when Jonas showed some hesitation. "You don't have to talk now. In fact, it might be better if I just ask you the questions I already had planned. But the offer's always open, just so you know."

"Thanks," Jonas replied quietly, giving her a small smile of appreciation.

"Now then, should I go on?" she asked sympathetically, ready to give him more time if he needed it.

The man nodded, then took a deep breath and let his naturally upbeat personality come back to the fore. "What else did you need to know?"

Sabrina asked questions about what Jonas had seen of Daniel's behavior on base, taking notes as they went. Her voice was encouraging, and her wording skillful enough to draw out details Jonas didn't even realize he'd noticed. When her inquiry turned to the raid at the remote laboratory and the events leading up to it, her matter-of-fact tone was laced with just enough sympathy that it was easier than he would have expected to recount the horrible things he'd seen and deduced. Even so, he was emotionally exhausted when he'd finished his tale.

The rest of SG-1 went through the same barrage of questions once Jonas had been allowed to go, and then the rest of the teams that had accompanied the SGC's premier team were asked to come in to give their observations of the laboratory raid. Once she'd gotten what information she could from the personnel, she visited the boy in question. She wasn't able to get anything from him as Daniel closed himself off as soon as she entered the room. The psychologist used the rest of her night to put together all her notes for a preliminary report the next day.

* * *

"Let me say first and foremost that this is only a preliminary report," Sabrina told the group gathered the next morning. "It's based mainly on research and interviews with relevant personnel. I've had minimal direct contact with Daniel, although I have observed him via security camera footage." She took a deep breath and released it. "So now that I've made that clear, let's get to it." 

"Yes, let's," Jack drawled, eyeing the standing woman coolly.

The psychologist gave him a knowing smile, remembering the effort she'd gone through to get the information she needed during their interview. "From what I can tell so far, you won't be able to place Daniel with any random family that happens to meet security standards. I know you're worried about clearance, and it's a valid concern. But this is about Daniel above everything else. He has a very slim, well-defined comfort zone, and if you take him out of it you run the risk of permanently stunting his development. I think we can all agree that we want this child to grow up as normally as possible."

General Hammond nodded. "Of course, Doctor. I take it you have a suggestion as to how we can solve this apparent conflict of interest?"

"Basically, you can't take him away from the people he trusts," Sabrina said, nodding. "If you do, you'll be showing him he can't trust you - and by extension anyone else. Apparently Doctor MacDonald told Daniel he could only trust SG-1 when he gave the boy the serum that counteracted the genetic degradation, at least according to his diary." She looked at Sam. "Did I thank you for figuring out how to open that?"

"Yes," the major said with a small smile. "It wasn't that difficult considering what he told the colonel and Teal'c about the storage box it was in."

"What are you talking about, Major?" Hammond asked, his brows furrowed.

The blonde turned to face him. "It seems Doctor MacDonald used the same kind of thumbprint scanner on his diary that he did on the storage box it was in," Sam explained. "When I saw the second pad it didn't take much to put two and two together."

Sabrina smiled. "And that diary has been invaluable in starting to piece together Daniel's history. The information Doctor MacDonald gathered from the other scientists at the laboratory were purely clinical in nature, and there wasn't exactly a psychologist or psychiatrist on staff. Although I understand they did bring one in periodically." She shrugged. "There weren't any notes from him, however, so that leaves me on my own."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow before addressing the psychologist. "What of your suggestion for the care of the child?" he asked.

"Right. Well, I was thinking that since he only trusts the members of SG-1, one of you four is going to have to take him in. As far as I can see so far, that's the only chance he has for a normal development."

"Hold it just a second," Jack protested immediately. "We're a front line team!"

"I'm fully aware of that, Colonel. But there are other SG team members that are also parents, two of whom are single parents. I checked to see if my solution would be viable." Doctor Marconi didn't flinch away from the hard stare Jack gave her.

The colonel's eyes narrowed. "After everything he's been through, I don't think having to worry about mom or dad coming home is the best atmosphere, do you?"

Hammond cleared his throat as he gave Jack a warning glance. "Colonel O'Neill has a point, Doctor. Especially considering this child knows exactly what his guardian is doing when he or she leaves for any extended period of time. Are you sure this is wise?"

"It's a double-edged sword, I admit," Sabrina said calmly. "At the same time, taking his background into consideration, I don't believe this scenario would be any more stressful for him than, say, the child of a police officer. I've observed his reactions to the klaxons announcing off-world gate activations. It's apparent he knows what's going on, to a degree only limited by his age. He _expects_ SG-1 to go through the gate. It may actually be traumatic for his guardian _not_ to. Between the briefings the children received from their instructors and the assertions of faith and confidence made by Doctor MacDonald on a one-on-one basis, Daniel may feel his world is unsafe if his guardian is no longer a member of SG-1."

"And let's not forget how guilty he'd feel knowing he was the reason that one of the members of SG-1 wouldn't be going through the gate anymore," Janet added, speaking up for the first time.

"I take it you agree with Doctor Marconi's assessment?" the general asked the auburn-haired woman.

Janet nodded. "Yes, sir. As she said, it's a bit of a double-edged sword, but I think it's the best option."

Jonas leaned forward as Jack grumbled darkly under his breath. "You're not going to make him stay here at the mountain, are you?" the Kelownan asked, worry lacing his tone. "I saw the kind of environment he'd been living in. You just can't do that to a child. You can't."

"I'd never suggest that, even if it were an option," Sabrina refuted, surprised. "I firmly believe that a child needs to play and be out in the sunshine."

"Then you've basically cut your options in half," Jack practically growled. "And I'm telling you right now..."

"Let me remind you this is just a preliminary evaluation," Sabrina interrupted hastily, having a feeling she knew what Jack was about to say. "I've made no formal recommendations. I'd like to take the next week and try to interact with Daniel more, see how I can help him in the future. I need to establish a place for myself in his world if he's ever going to trust me, and he needs to trust me if I'm ever going to help. You and Major Carter can take that time to think things completely over and come to a decision as to who would be best as Daniel's guardian."

Jack scowled while Sam simply looked shocked. "Don't you have any thoughts on the matter?" the major asked.

Sabrina shrugged. "A few. But I think you both need to consider whether or not you want the responsibility of sudden parenthood. This is only a preliminary report."

Hammond gave the psychologist a thoughtful look then turned his attention to Janet. "I believe you also had an update on your research, Doctor Fraiser?"

"Yes, sir," Janet said as Sabrina sat down across from her. "I've been trying to figure out what caused the genetic degradation in the children, and why Daniel was unaffected. I think I have a viable theory." She opened one of the files she'd brought with her. "Everything had been stalled out when I examined the blood work of the body Jonas found in the kitchen. I'd reached the point where I was looking for anything out of the ordinary. All I could come up with was that he'd had the flu at the time he was shot."

"So what?" Jack asked, much calmer now that the topic had turned away from future plans for little Daniel. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Janet smiled. "Exactly what my first reaction was. But then I remembered that he acted as the children's cook."

Sam nodded. "Nicholas Spencer. He'd been working for the NID for eight years."

"Right," the physician agreed. "I realized that I hadn't seen any kind of illness in any other personnel at the laboratory. I double checked the medical records Doctor MacDonald preserved, and found that anyone working there was well inoculated against diseases, and anyone with even a hint of a cold tended to avoid the children. They were reassigned temporarily until they received a clean bill of health."

"Sounds like paranoia," Jack said.

"I'd normally agree with you, sir, but this time it may have been well founded. When I took another look at the children's blood work, I found signs of the same flu virus Agent Spencer was infected with, as well as signs that it had been rapidly mutating upon exposure to the weakened DNA structure of the cloned children. I don't completely understand the process, and certainly not why everything happened so quickly, but that mutation appears to be the cause of the genetic degradation that killed almost all of the children."

Teal'c's eyebrow rose. "Then what of Daniel? Why was he not affected?"

Janet made a small gesture to her notes. "It looks like Doctor MacDonald's serum worked like it was supposed to, strengthening the genetic structure of Daniel's cells. The only thing is, I didn't find any sign of the virus in his blood and I don't know why. He had to have been exposed at the same time as the rest of the children. Doctor MacDonald's notes said that they did everything together."

There was a moment of silence as they all considered it. "Do we know when they were exposed?" Sabrina asked.

"We can't be one hundred percent certain, but it couldn't have been very long before the mutations started. I found a minimal presence of white blood cells, suggesting the children's bodies didn't have much of a chance to try to fight off the infection."

"So why did a few of them manage to die relatively intact when most of them were nearly unrecognizable?" Jonas asked softly.

Janet gave him a sympathetic look while Sabrina gave him a speculative one. "It all depended on where in the body the virus started to take effect," the diminutive doctor explained gently. "The few you're thinking of were first effected in either the brain or the heart, killing them relatively quickly without giving the virus a chance to degrade the rest of the body."

Jack frowned. "So I guess someone shot Spencer when they found out he'd infected the kids."

"That makes sense, sir," Sam agreed.

"Indeed," Teal'c added.

"It certainly matches what we know of the attitude of the rogue NID group," Hammond commented. "Would you say that Daniel is in any further danger, Doctor?" he asked Janet.

She shook her head. "I don't believe so, since Doctor MacDonald was able to give him the serum. We'll keep an eye on him just in case."

Hammond gave a sharp nod. "Do that. I believe that wraps everything up, unless anyone has anything else to add?" No one said anything. "Then you're all dismissed. Doctor Marconi, could I see you in my office for a moment?"

"Of course, General," she replied, a touch confused.

The bald man led the black-haired woman into his office as the others left the briefing room. "Take a seat, Doctor," he said once he'd shut the door behind them.

Sabrina did as requested. "What can I do for you, General?"

Hammond considered her for a long moment before speaking. "I was wondering what thoughts you had regarding Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter and the guardianship of the young boy in our care."

"I don't have anything concrete," she stammered, thrown by the unexpected question.

"Then your preliminary thoughts. You seemed reluctant to share them when the major asked during the briefing."

Sabrina took a deep breath and released it. She didn't think anyone had noticed how she'd avoided having to answer that particular question. "You're quite observant, sir," she said with respect. "I thought I'd covered that up with the professional need to wait until I had a final plan in place."

Hammond smiled. "Everyone else was a bit busy being shocked by the original suggestion. What can you tell me?"

"Well, there are going to be issues either way," she began. "Colonel O'Neill has experience with being a parent, but the trauma associated with that experience is a factor, especially since I've been told there's quite a resemblance between his son and Daniel. Major Carter doesn't have that experience at all, although Doctor Fraiser has said she's been close to that for her adopted daughter Cassandra. As Daniel is a clone of Daniel Jackson, that's also a factor. Does anyone know for sure what happened to him after SG-1's last mission?"

"Unfortunately no," the general answered, a flash of sorrow crossing his features. "Major Carter brought up the probability that one way or the other Doctor Jackson won't be able to make contact with us again."

"I'm sorry," Sabrina sympathized. "I can tell he meant a lot to everyone here, and especially to the other members of SG-1." She took a deep breath and released it. "Which is my point, actually. Whoever becomes the boy's guardian is going to have to be able to differentiate between the two. I know they both can," she said quickly, raising a hand to forestall the automatic objection she saw coming. "What I mean is being able to not let their knowledge color their interactions with the child. They need to care for Daniel for his own sake, not because he's a miniature Daniel Jackson. That's one of the things I'll be watching for this next week when I observe SG-1's interaction with Daniel."

Hammond nodded slowly. "I see your point. That may be difficult. SG-1 grew to be very close, like family. I know I tend to consider them as such." He sighed. "Do you really think there'll be problems?"

Sabrina shook her head. "Oh, no, I didn't mean that. I have a feeling I know which way this one should go, but it would be better for everyone involved if both the colonel and the major came to that conclusion on their own. And I also need to finish my observations. Something may happen this week that totally changes my mind."

"I see. Well, Doctor, you've answered my questions. I'll be looking forward to your final report."

"I'm glad I was able to, sir," the psychologist said as she rose to her feet. With a smile and a nod she left the office and returned to her work.

* * *

Sam spent the next week obsessing over the possibility of becoming Daniel's guardian. She didn't think it was likely, considering the colonel's love of children and his closeness to the Daniel they all missed fiercely. With the time both of them had been given to think things over and get things in order, Sam was sure Colonel O'Neill would face his demons and put them aside to help out the child who needed someone so much. 

The blonde major stopped by Daniel's VIP room numerous times a day, even if it was just for five minutes between tasks. The little smile Daniel gave her when she came inside warmed her heart, and she couldn't help but wish that she could see it every day in the years to come. That was a wish she firmly put to the back of her mind whenever she thought of it. The last thing she wanted was to have her heart broken when the final decision was made. The time with Cassandra was bad enough.

She was happy to see that Daniel appeared to have become accustomed to Janet's presence, even allowing the physician to do her tests without any fuss. He still wasn't speaking to anyone and would only reach out, however infrequently, to the members of SG-1, but at least he was starting to expand his comfort zone bit by bit. Doctor Marconi told her it was a positive sign for the future.

The meeting at the end of that week was one Sam faced with a thorough jumble of emotions. She wanted a normal life for little Daniel, an atmosphere of love and support she was sure he hadn't experienced up to that point. She hoped that he and the colonel would be happy in their new situation; she knew that they eventually would be. She just couldn't quite quiet the voice that whispered that Daniel would be just as happy with her.

"Doctor Marconi, I believe you have your final report prepared," General Hammond said once everyone had gathered in the briefing room, calling the meeting to order.

"Yes, I do," Sabrina replied, standing and opening her file folder. "After this past week, I am happy to say that things look quite optimistic for Daniel's future. I've seen him begin to accept other people in his life, such as Doctor Fraiser and her staff, as well as allow more of his personality to shine through when he's with the members of SG-1."

Sam blinked. She hadn't really noticed that last point. "Are you sure about that, Doctor Marconi?" she asked. "I don't think I've really seen a change in his behavior."

Jonas nodded his agreement. "I haven't either. He's still not talking to us, and he only reaches out to us when he has to. He's been doing _that_ since I found him."

Sabrina smiled. "It's been more the little things. He pays attention when you have a conversation in front of him, reacting to some of the things you say. He's started to smile when one of the four of you comes in the room. He makes eye contact with you - not all the time, I admit, but with growing frequency. Things like that."

"I have to admit, I haven't been able to get him to look me in the eye since he's been here," Janet said ruefully.

"And I've seen him withdraw into himself completely when other personnel have needed to come into the room, like when Sergeant Siler had to change the bulb in the overhead light." The psychologist's smile grew a bit wider. "Trust me, it's there. It's not so drastic as to warrant a flashing neon sign, but it's happening."

"What about how he's reacting to you?" Jack asked. His face was closed off and carefully neutral.

The black-haired woman's smile faded a bit at the question. "Well, I haven't gotten the response I was hoping for, but he's not completely withdrawing from me. He lets me look at his drawings as long as I don't take them away and I don't touch him. It's a start."

Hammond's brows furrowed. "Do you think you'll be able to work with him?"

"Eventually I should be able to cultivate a working relationship with him, yes. I'm going to have to tread very lightly for some time to come, but I wouldn't want to force another doctor to have to start over with him. I've begun to establish something, and he doesn't need a lot of change in his life when it comes to the people he has to interact with right now. I'm on special assignment with the CIA right now, so I'll be available for the foreseeable future."

"How convenient," Jack muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Sam frowned at the reaction. She wasn't sure what it was, but something about Doctor Marconi didn't sit right with her team leader. She just wished she knew what it was. "So you're saying you'll be Daniel's psychologist," the major clarified.

Sabrina nodded. "Hopefully he won't need one for too long, but the mind works in mysterious ways, so we'll have to see."

Teal'c leaned forward a fraction. "Do you believe young Daniel will be capable of living outside of the mountain at this time, Doctor Marconi?"

The psychologist frowned thoughtfully. "I think he can emotionally handle the transition, as long he's with people he trusts. He'll let you know what he can handle from there if you pay attention."

"Which leads us to the main question: who do you believe should be his guardian, Doctor Marconi?" the general asked, his pale blue eyes briefly darting between Sam and Jack.

"A very good question, General," Sabrina replied. She turned her attention to the two officers sitting across from each other. "Both of you have had the past week to think about it. What have you come up with?"

"Aren't you supposed to be the one answering this question?" Jack shot back.

Sabrina shrugged. "I will. But I also said this was something you both needed to consider. It doesn't matter what I say if one or both of you aren't ready for this. So are you?"

Jack stared at her for a long moment before releasing an explosive breath. "I can't take him," he finally said. "It just wouldn't work."

Sam felt her jaw drop, and could sense a few more joining hers on the table. "Are you sure, sir?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course I'm sure, Carter," Jack responded, irritation thick in his voice. "I've thought about it and that's the obvious conclusion. You'll have to take him."

"But, sir, you love children! I've seen you with them! Are you sure you can't take Daniel?" Sam didn't notice the man flinch when she said the child's name.

Sabrina did, however. "As long as you're sure, Colonel," she said quietly and respectfully.

Jack nodded, his hostility toward the psychologist going down a notch at her acceptance. "I'm sure."

"But, sir..."

"Damn it, Carter!" Jack snapped, turning a blazing brown gaze on her. "I can't take the kid! Just accept it and leave it alone!"

"With all due respect, Colonel," Sam said, straightening in her seat and returning the look without flinching, "I think you owe me an explanation, as _I'm_ the one most effected by your decision. This isn't like you at all."

Everyone in the room could _feel_ the anger and frustration threatening to boil over in the grey-haired colonel. Hammond was about to say something to try to defuse the situation but a quick shake of Sabrina's head stopped him. "I could give you the easy cop-out answer and tell you he looks too much like Charlie," Jack said in a low, unnaturally even voice, his eyes narrowing darkly. "And it's even somewhat true. But mostly it's because Daniel Jackson is still out there somewhere, and accepting this kid into my home would be like trying to replace him in my life. I want my old friend back, not a new son."

Sam drew back slightly and blinked. "But, sir, that little boy isn't Daniel Jackson."

"I know that, Carter!" Jack shouted, jumping to his feet and sending his chair rolling backward to nearly crash into the window that overlooked the gateroom. "In my head I know that! But I can't _feel_ it! And I absolutely _refuse_ to even try to replace him, not again! You have no right to ask that of me!" He shot a quick look at Jonas then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind himself.

"I just needed to understand," Sam whispered eventually into the stunned silence that followed Jack's sudden departure. "I didn't mean to hurt him."

"I have no doubt of that, Major," the general said gently. "Give him some time then try to work things out." Sam nodded, her expression sadly resigned.

Sabrina cleared her throat, looking a little embarrassed. "That didn't go quite like I was expecting, but I think we need to refocus on Daniel's guardianship. Will you be able to do it, Major Carter?"

Sam took a deep breath and released it, pulling herself together to deal with the situation at hand. She'd apologize to the colonel later, after he'd cooled down a bit. "I'd be glad to, Doctor Marconi. I've never been a parent before, but I'm more than willing to give it a try for Daniel's sake."

"The paperwork has already been started," Hammond said. "I was only waiting for the final decision on who the guardian would be to complete it. It won't take long at all. What kind of timeframe are we dealing with for Daniel's transition?" he asked the psychologist.

"Well, no less than a month, definitely," Sabrina replied. "I'm not sure how long you can spare the major, but the more time the better."

The general nodded. "I believe six weeks is standard for birth and adoption, Major," he said to Sam. "Why don't we start with that, and see where you stand when that's over."

Sam blinked in surprise. "Adoption? Is that what's going on? I mean, I don't think I have any objection but..."

Janet quickly spoke to relieve her stammering friend. "No, Sam, no adoptions, not yet. Not until you're both ready for it. But you _are_ bringing a new child into your home, and six weeks is the standard amount of leave for that sort of thing."

"You'll be declared the legal guardian of Daniel MacDonald," Hammond clarified. Sam nodded, still looking a little shell-shocked.

"Wait a minute," Jonas said hesitantly, looking unsure of the reception of his question. "MacDonald? As in Doctor MacDonald?"

Hammond nodded. "Yes, we thought it was appropriate."

Jonas considered it. "I think I can see that. I mean, Daniel wouldn't have survived if it hadn't been for him."

"It is a fitting way to honor him," Teal'c agreed.

The general smiled at the two alien members of SG-1 then turned his attention back to Sabrina. "Is that everything, Doctor Marconi?"

"I believe so, yes," Sabrina replied. "I'll be continuing my visits with Daniel on a weekly basis for the time being. Is it all right if I do that at your home, Major?" she asked Sam.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Sam said. "He'll probably be the most comfortable there once he's settled in."

"That's just what I was thinking." Sabrina smiled as she sat down.

Hammond nodded at the arrangements then turned his attention to Janet. "Doctor Fraiser, your report?"

Janet cleared her throat and began. "Everything's remained normal this past week. As far as I can tell he's a normal three-year-old boy. I only ask that I keep him under observation for the next couple of days while Major Carter gets her house ready. It looks like Daniel's managed to pick up a mild case of the flu that's been floating around the base, and I want to make sure he won't need another dose of Doctor MacDonald's serum."

"Permission granted, Doctor. As long as there isn't anything else?" Hammond's question trailed off suggestively.

"Will we be able to visit Sam and Daniel while she's on leave?" Jonas asked after he raised his hand to eye level to catch people's attention.

The general passed the query onto Sabrina with a look. "I don't see why not, as long as you give them some time alone to adjust first," the black-haired woman said. "Daniel should probably get used to visitors." She looked to Sam for confirmation.

The blonde nodded. "We get together for team nights pretty regularly. Or, well, we used to..." She trailed off awkwardly, shooting Jonas an apologetic look.

He smiled at her in forgiveness. "Don't worry about it, Sam. I know you didn't mean anything by it." The smile faded. "And I think we all saw how the colonel feels about me."

"Colonel O'Neill wouldn't continue to have you on his team if he didn't think you were capable, son," Hammond said gently.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "You have become a valuable member of SG-1 on your own merits, Jonas Quinn. Do not allow yourself to believe otherwise."

"Thanks, everybody. I'll be all right."

Hammond gave him one last sympathetic look then glanced around the table. "Is that everything?" The others shared a look and said nothing. "Then you're all dismissed. Major Carter, I'll have the appropriate paperwork sent to your lab as soon as I finish having it prepared."

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you." She and the others at the table stood and watched as the general returned to his office.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right with this?" Sabrina asked, coming over and laying a gentle hand on Sam's arm. "This is a huge change in your life."

"I'm fine," Sam said with a small smile. "Daniel's the important one here, and I'll do what it takes to make sure this works out for him."

"Don't forget you get to indulge your mothering tendencies, too," Janet reminded her with a grin. "Cassie's almost too old for them."

Sam laughed. "Don't I know it. Every now and again I have to twist her arm to get in our Saturday chess games."

Janet scoffed. "Don't let her fool you; she loves those games as much as you do. But I better get back to the infirmary. I want to check up on Daniel. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Sam waved her off. "You know I will. Now get back to work!" She laughed again when Janet merely stuck her tongue out at her before leaving.

"It looks like you'll have a solid support system in place for you," Sabrina commented. "You've got a lot of good things going. It's nice to see."

"We would never abandon Major Carter when we were needed," Teal'c said seriously. "And neither would O'Neill." The Jaffa's last statement was directed more at Sam.

"Yeah, Sam. The colonel's just upset right now. He'll come around," Jonas said encouragingly.

The blonde gave her friends a smile. "I know. I'll go talk to him as soon as I talk to Daniel to let him know what's going on next. I'm actually looking forward to that part."

Jonas grinned. "Can we come along?"

"The more the merrier. Come on."

Sabrina watched three-quarters of the SGC's flagship team walk out of the briefing room before shaking her head and following. Somehow she knew life would never be dull around these people.

* * *

Sam, Jonas, Teal'c, and Sabrina walked into the infirmary just as Janet began to send nurses scurrying. Her serious expression and the fact that she was standing next to a bed with a tiny form on it had the four newcomers immediately worried. "Janet, what's going on?" Sam asked as she led the way to the doctor's side. 

"I'm not sure," Janet replied as she stepped a ways away from the bed. "When I got back, I found out the nurses had been just about to send for me. Daniel's fever has risen dramatically since I did my check up this morning for the meeting we just had. All he had then was a little sniffle and his temperature was slightly elevated." She shook her head. "I've sent a blood sample to the lab to see if we can figure this out. I just hope that serum is still working."

"I thought you said it was a _mild_ case of the flu," Jonas said quickly, a touch of panic in his voice as he remembered the sight he'd found in the basement bunkroom of the NID laboratory.

"It could be a stronger strain," Janet conceded. "But it still shouldn't make him react this way, at least not this quickly. You should probably go talk to him, Sam. I think he's getting scared." The blonde nodded and went over to the bed.

Sabrina frowned. "Have you considered moving Daniel to an isolation room?"

Janet nodded. "As soon as I get the results of those tests."

"Perhaps you should do so as soon as Major Carter has calmed young Daniel," Teal'c suggested. "He has not been comfortable in public previously."

"And he'll probably be less so now that he's sick," Jonas added.

The auburn-haired doctor smiled wryly. "You're probably right. Even if this turns out to be something simple moving him will make Daniel feel better."

The psychologist considered it. "We'll have to keep a close eye on him one way or the other. This could easily bring up the trauma of watching those other children die. He might think he's about to join them."

Jonas looked horrified. "He's not, is he? He's going to be all right?"

"He should be just fine," Janet said quickly, not missing the concerned look Sabrina shot him. She was concerned herself. "There's no reason to believe the effects of Doctor MacDonald's serum aren't permanent."

"Doctor MacDonald was actually quite pleased with it according to his diary," Sabrina added.

"I know, I know. I'm overreacting here." Jonas took a deep breath and released it. "It was just such a horrible sight to see."

Janet laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I know. Now why don't the three of you get going? I need to see what I can do to get that fever down and figure out what's going on. I'll keep you updated."

Sabrina nodded as Teal'c bowed his head slightly. "We'll get out of your way. Maybe we should get some lunch?"

"That would be acceptable," Teal'c said.

"Could you let Sam know where we went?" Jonas asked. Janet nodded, and the three of them left.

Meanwhile, Sam had pulled up a chair to the side of Daniel's bed. "How are you doing?" she asked as she took one of his small hands into her own. He turned wide blue eyes toward her, and she could see the fear in them. "It's okay, Daniel. Doctor Fraiser is going to figure out what's making you sick and then she'll make you feel better. And in the meantime, I'll be right here. Will that help?"

Daniel stared at her for a long moment, then sighed and nodded. His muscles relaxed slightly as the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

"You know," Sam continued conversationally, "I was coming to see you anyway. It looks like I'll be able to take you home with me once you're better. How's that sound? Would you like to live with me? I know it's different than what you're used to," she added when she saw Daniel's brows crease together in confusion, "but a lot of kids live with parents or guardians. You'll get to be just like them."

Daniel's gaze slid away from her as he let it wander around the infirmary. It was obvious he didn't quite understand what Sam was talking about. He finally turned his head back to face the major, his expression no less bewildered.

Sam sighed. "I know this is new for you, this whole concept. But you and I are going to live in my house together, and I'm going to take care of you. I'll be your guardian."

The child's eyes widened. "You're going to take care of me?" he whispered, much to Sam's surprise. "Just me?" He squeezed her hand tightly.

"You bet I am," Sam assured him, smiling as tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "You're so very special, Daniel, and I want to make sure you're safe and happy. Now you just have to get better."

"Don't feel good," he breathed. "Like them."

It was all Sam could do to keep her tears from falling. "No, not like them," she said quickly. "The shot Doctor MacDonald gave you makes sure you won't get sick like them. You're going to be just fine, and then we're going to go live at my house. You want to do that, don't you?" She tried to smile as Daniel nodded. Sam gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

Janet walked up at that point, her gaze warm and sympathetic. "Could I talk to you for a moment, Sam?" she asked quietly.

"I'll be right back," Sam told Daniel. "Will you be okay until then?" The boy hesitated a moment then nodded again.

"You're doing great with him, Sam," the physician complimented her friend as soon as they were out of earshot. "He's much calmer than he was when I got back."

"I explained that I was going to take him home to take care of him," Sam said as she wiped the moisture from her eyes. "He actually talked to me, Janet. He spoke."

Janet smiled. "That's great to hear, Sam. It sounds like he really trusts you."

Sam shrugged. "I think I just surprised him. What did you need?"

Janet blew out a breath that set her bangs fluttering. "I've got to try to get his fever under control. It's rising too quickly. If you're going to stay you need to know this is going to be hard until I know exactly what I'm dealing with and how to take care of it. I've placed a priority on his blood work so I should be getting those tests back relatively soon. Do you think I should move him into an isolation room?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Sam, you're his guardian now. It's your decision to make. He'll be fine either way, so it's up to you to choose where you think he'll be more comfortable."

"Oh." Sam considered it. "Why don't we move him then, if you think that'll be okay. That way he doesn't have to be surrounded by people who make him uncomfortable, and we won't be in your way if any medical emergencies come up."

Janet smiled. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" She laughed when Sam rolled her eyes. "We'll transfer him as soon as we can then. Jonas, Teal'c, and Sabrina went to the commissary for lunch if you wanted to join them while we take care of it."

Sam shook her head. "I should stay here with Daniel. He's scared he's sick like the other kids we found. Maybe I'll grab something if he falls asleep later."

"Oh, I'm sure he will. Kids tend to sleep off illnesses. We're just going to hope it's nothing more serious than that. Now why don't you let Daniel know what's going on while I make the arrangements. We'll do this as smoothly as we can."

"Thanks, Janet." She moved back to her charge's bedside while Janet went to her office. "Miss me?" she asked once she'd sat down again. Daniel nodded quickly and reached out a hand from under the covers. "Doctor Fraiser is going to move you to your own room so it's not so loud. Would you like that?" she asked as she took the tiny hand. He nodded again and squeezed. "Then we'll just wait together." The two of them shared a smile and fell into a comfortable silence, both comforted by the presence of the other.


	4. Chapter 4

ANs: Thanks again to all my faithful readers - you guys are great! Hope you enjoy this one!

* * *

Sam sat in her lab that evening, going through the motions of sorting through the more technical parts of the information Doctor MacDonald had passed along. Her mind and heart were actually with little Daniel in ISO room four where the child slept the sleep of the ill and exhausted. Janet had diagnosed him with pneumonia and was trying to confirm whether it was bacterial, viral, or fungal. That hadn't stopped her from putting her foot down and practically shoving the worried major out of the room once they were sure the boy was sleeping so she could get some supper, however. "How can you take care of him if you don't take care of yourself?" the doctor had asked. Sam hadn't been able to come up with a suitable response. 

She finally dropped her pen and let her face fall into her hands. She was scared, thoroughly frightened that this could end badly. She refused to even think about Daniel dying. A child that young wasn't supposed to be that close to death so she wouldn't consider it - at least not consciously.

A brief knock on the frame of her open door caused her to jerk her head up. "You doing okay?" an unexpected voice asked with concern.

Sam spun her head around and her eyes widened when she saw Jack O'Neill standing in the doorway. "Sir? What are you doing here?"

"Carter, you're not exactly my favorite person right now, but it's not like you're at the top of my shit list either. And Fraiser told me about what's happening with the kid. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. It's Daniel I'm worried about."

Jack sighed. "Let's try this again, Carter. The truth this time. How are you doing?"

Sam bit her lower lip and dropped her gaze. "I'm scared, sir. Pneumonia can be dangerous for children, and it's really hit Daniel hard. And I can't do anything to help him."

It was quiet for a long moment before Sam finally raised her head and was shocked to see Jack smiling. "I think you're going to make a great mom, Sam. And the little squirt is going to pull through this, you'll see. There's no one in this mountain that will let anything else happen."

Sam struggled to smile in return, but it quickly faded. "I'm sorry about the meeting this morning, Colonel. I was so sure you'd want to take Daniel that when you refused I was completely thrown. It didn't make any sense to me. So I pushed."

"I can understand why you were thinking that. And had it been any other kid I just might have given you the fight you were probably expecting. But it's just too soon since all that crap with Abydos and Anubis. It really does feel like trying to replace Daniel. Our Daniel," he quickly clarified. He sighed again. "I would have explained myself in private, if you'd given me some time. There were people in that room that didn't need to hear my reasons, or that I didn't _want_ to hear my reasons. I usually _do_ have reasons for what I say and do, you know."

"I do know that, sir, and like I said, I'm sorry. And to be clear, it wasn't that I was expecting a fight. I hadn't let myself hope that I might be able to take Daniel in. I didn't want to get disappointed like I did with Cassie." She tried to smile again.

"I can understand that." Jack nodded and searched her gaze for a long moment before suddenly shifting his attention to the stack of papers on her desk. "So what are you doing?"

Sam blinked and looked at what he was referring to. "Oh, the paperwork Doctor MacDonald managed to get us. Not that I've done much with it. My mind's been on other things."

Jack clapped her on the shoulder. "Well, I'd say that's a given. But I give you points for effort, Carter. What say we go..."

Jack's offer was cut off by the phone ringing. "Carter," Sam said into the receiver once she'd picked it up. She listened for a moment, her brows furrowing. "Sure, Janet. I'll be right there." She hung up and looked at Jack. "Janet wants to talk to me in her office."

"You want some moral support?" Jack asked, completely serious.

"Thank you, sir," Sam said with a smile, truly grateful for the offer. She was glad to see things would be all right with the man who was not only her CO but her friend. The two of them quickly left.

They both knew there was something seriously wrong the moment they saw Janet's face as she sat behind her desk in her office. An auburn eyebrow rose at the sight of Jack with Sam, but any surprise was quickly dismissed. "Please have a seat," she told them both, gesturing to the chairs in front of them.

The officers of SG-1 shared a look then did as requested. "What's going on, Janet?" Sam asked, her worry going up a few notches.

"Well, I've had a chance to analyze Daniel's blood work. I'm seeing signs that this is a bacterial pneumonia, which means I can use antibiotics to fight the infection. But what worries me is that I'm also seeing signs that Daniel is immunodeficient."

"Immuno what?" Jack asked.

"Immunodeficient," Janet repeated. "It means that Daniel's immune system is functioning at a diminished capacity. I'm not sure what's causing it, if it's a disease of some kind or a side effect of the cloning process. The DNA sequencing was originally rather weak, after all. This could be a result of that."

Sam swallowed harshly. "What does that mean for him now?"

Janet sighed. "The antibiotics should work. It'll just take longer and a stronger regimen. It's a good thing he's in an isolation room at the moment since he's also more susceptible to other infections. Once he's recovered we'll have to keep a close eye on him, and you'll have to be ready to take him to a doctor at the first sign of any future illness."

Jack raised a hand. "Hold it a second. Isn't there some kind of treatment that can build his immune system back up to normal?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," Janet said quietly, her eyes dropping for a moment. Sam and Jack could see the tears welling up in them when she brought her gaze back up. "Like I said, since this is a bacterial infection, antibiotics will work. We just have to give it time."

"But it'll be harder for him, won't it?" Sam asked softly.

"I won't lie to you, Sam. It will. But he'll be fine when all is said and done." She wiped the moisture from her eyes before it could spill over.

Jack leaned forward. "Does he have an immune system at all?"

Janet leaned back in her chair, obviously tired. "Yes. I've found signs of white blood cells, so Daniel's immune system is just suppressed, not absent. I'll be looking into the cause of that once we've taken care of the pneumonia."

"What kind of symptoms can I expect?" Sam asked, her face pale and her eyes wide. If she thought her fear had been bad before, it was nothing compared to what it was at that moment.

"Well, fever, cough, chills with shaking, shortness of breath, most of which you've seen already. He'll get tired easily and will probably sleep a lot if he can get past the headache and just general discomfort he'll be feeling. I expect his loss of appetite to continue, and there may be nausea and vomiting. Even rarer would be muscle and joint stiffness, swollen glands, and excessive sweating. He hasn't shown any signs yet of any of those. We're keeping a close eye on him. We may already have a head start since we caught it right away." Janet shook her head. "It's always hardest when it's a child," she murmured.

Jack looked away from both women. "Always," he agreed in a whisper.

Sam swallowed again and fought back tears of her own. "Can I sit with him?"

Janet nodded. "You'll have to wear a mask and wash your hands before each visit. That goes for any other visitors as well, and those will be extremely limited. Remember, he's extremely susceptible to infections, like I said before."

"I understand," Sam said quietly. "I just don't want him to have to be alone. He'll be so scared." Her eyes widened after a moment. "Is he going to have chest pains?" she asked urgently.

"It's possible, yes. Pneumonia is an infection of the lung, after all," Janet replied, her brows furrowed in question.

"I have to go to him. I have to go to him right now," Sam said, jumping to her feet.

Jack was standing a fraction of a second later. "Hold on a second, Carter. What's the rush?"

The blonde major turned a stricken gaze on him. "That first night Daniel was here, when I stayed with him, he came over to my bed while I was sleeping. When I woke up and saw him staring at me I absently rubbed an itch in the center of my chest. He nearly lost it, sir. I think he saw one of the other children die after complaining of chest pains."

"That's very likely," Janet agreed as she also stood, shadows behind her eyes. "Go ahead and get ready, Sam. I'll come with you. Are you joining us, Colonel?"

Jack looked between the two women, doing his best to cover the inner struggle Janet's question had set off. "You don't have to if it'll make you uncomfortable, sir," Sam said quietly, smiling to let him know there wouldn't be any hard feelings.

The colonel relaxed and gave her a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Carter. I should probably get going anyway. Keep me posted, okay?"

"Of course, sir."

With that, the three of them left the office.

* * *

Two days later, Sam sat in a chair next to Daniel's bed, a pained look on her face as she watched the boy toss and turn in his sleep, his breathing quick and shallow. His cheeks were flushed, and tremors regularly shook his tiny frame. He coughed almost as regularly. She brushed a hand lightly across his forehead and sighed. 

One of the magazines she'd brought in with her lay open on her lap, not that she could remember anything she'd read. Her attention had been focused on comforting Daniel when he was awake and keeping her emotions under control when he wasn't. Janet, Sabrina, Jonas, and Teal'c had all visited, and Sam had appreciated their attempts to keep her spirits up. Jack had tracked her down those few times she'd left the infirmary for meals and what little sleep she could get, trying to make sure she was still doing okay. Everyone's support had been all that was keeping her together.

A rap at the window of the door made Sam turn her head to see Janet's face. The doctor gestured for her to come out. Sam checked one last time to make sure Daniel really was sleeping then stepped out into the hall. "What is it, Janet?" she asked once the door had closed behind her.

"Let's go to my office."

"What's going on?" Sam asked once they'd seated themselves.

The auburn-haired woman's professional mask cracked at that point, and tears began to well up in the chocolate brown eyes. "I've been monitoring Daniel's condition," she said quietly.

Sam frowned. "He doesn't seem to be getting better. I know it was supposed to take longer than normal, but..."

Janet cut her off with a raised hand. "I've found that Daniel has a secondary pneumonia infection. This one is viral."

"What does that mean?" Sam asked, dread growing in her heart.

"The bacterial infection we can fight with antibiotics. If the secondary infection had been fungal we could have handled that." Janet closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Modern medical science hasn't been able to come up with an effective way to combat viruses. Normally the human immune system is capable of doing what medicine can't. But Daniel's immune system is suppressed." Her eyes opened again and a lone tear escaped down her cheek. "I don't know if we'll be able to help him long enough for his body's limited defenses to work."

"Are you trying to say that Daniel's going to die?" Sam breathed, tears of her own welling up.

Janet wiped at her eyes with a tissue and started to pull herself together. "It doesn't look good, Sam. We'll do all we can, but I don't know if it'll be enough."

Sam's expression became stricken, her lower lip quivering until she bit it. "How long?" she asked shakily, her knuckles white as she clasped her hands together in her lap.

"There's no way to be sure."

There was a long moment of silence. "I don't want to lose him, Janet. I was just getting used to the idea of being a mom," Sam whispered, her gaze dropping down.

Janet's face fell even further. "I know, Sam. I know how much you've wanted it. I know how much you deserve it. But I can't promise you anything, and I refuse to give you false hope."

"And I thank you for that," Sam said, making firm eye contact with her friend. She took a deep breath and released it, somehow pulling herself together as she did. "I need to go back to Daniel. I don't want him to wake up alone."

"Of course," Janet said as Sam rose to her feet and headed for the door. "Just remember I'll always be here when you need me, okay, Sam?"

Sam stopped in the doorframe and looked back over her shoulder with a shaky smile. "I know, Janet. And that means a lot. Thank you." Then she turned and left, determined to be at Daniel's bedside.

* * *

"Hey, Daniel," Sam said softly a day and a half later. The boy had just woken up from a fitful sleep that had lasted only a couple hours. "I'm still here." She smiled, having taken off her mask in light of the poor prognosis Janet had given her charge. 

Daniel tried to return the expression as much as his pain, nausea, and fast, shallow breathing would let him. His fever-bright blue eyes were locked on her own, and his cheeks were flushed red, belying the chill-induced shaking that wracked his small frame. He managed to pull his hand out from under the covers and reached almost desperately for Sam.

The blonde immediately took it and gave it a gentle squeeze. She wouldn't let go at all, except that her grasp kept him from sleeping for long, since the connection stopped him from adjusting his position to allow for the most comfort at any given time. "You know, I think I'm going to wait until we go home before I redecorate your room. That way you can help me pick out what you want." It took everything in her to keep her voice and expression under control as she said it. "Does that sound good?"

Daniel nodded briefly and squeezed her hand. He never looked away from her face, and Sam had a hard time not flashing back to the last time she'd spent in an isolation room gazing into those same summer blue eyes. Those eyes had also been filled with pain as the body that held them got progressively closer to death. Sam swallowed and bit the inside of her cheek to keep that memory from dominating her thoughts. She couldn't help but wish for a distraction.

A minute later she got one. Daniel's grip became almost painful and his gaze panicked just before the alarm on some of the machinery he was hooked up to went off, bringing in Janet and a pair of nurses at a run. Just before the petite doctor could yell at Sam to get out of the way, the child's grip went limp, and Sam stumbled backward out of shock.

"He's in respiratory arrest!" Janet cried, and her team went to work to get little Daniel breathing once again.

Sam's own breathing nearly stopped as she watched the medical personnel work and listened to her friend bark out orders. She'd been warned that respiratory failure was a danger Daniel was in. Now she was afraid that was what she was witnessing. She began to shake her head in denial as she flattened herself against the far wall next to the door. She couldn't watch him go like this, she couldn't stand there and do nothing while he laid there and died.

It was that thought that made her remember. Maybe there was something she could do after all. This wasn't radiation poisoning after all...

Janet looked up for only a moment when she heard the door to the isolation room close. When she saw that Sam was gone, her heart broke for her friend, sure that she couldn't bear to watch the efforts to keep Daniel alive.

* * *

Sam practically plowed down Sabrina Marconi as she ran back to Daniel's room after going to her lab. "Oh my god, I'm sorry, Doctor Marconi. I didn't see you there," she gasped as she reeled back from the near-collision. 

Sabrina peeled herself from the opposite wall and smiled wryly. "I should have known you'd be in a hurry when I saw you take off like that before."

"What do you mean?" Sam said, momentarily distracted from the task at hand.

"I was watching from the observation deck when the monitors went off. I saw you leave the room then dash by the doorway at the bottom of the stairs. Janet and her team have him stabilized again, by the way." She gave Sam a sympathetic look that didn't quite hide the curiosity the psychologist was feeling. "Where did you go?"

"I had to go back to my lab for something," Sam said with a sigh of relief. Then she straightened again, unsure of how much time Daniel still had left. "I'm sorry, Doctor, I have to get going."

Sabrina caught her by the arm as something on the other woman's right hand captured her attention. "What is that on your hand, Major?"

Sam brought up the item she'd retrieved. "Um, it's the Goa'uld healing device I usually keep stored in my lab," she explained. "I'm hoping it can help. I don't want to lose another Daniel." That last was spoken in a broken whisper, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Wait a minute, Major," Sabrina said, her grip tightening on the other woman's arm. "You do realize that the person in that room is _not_ the Daniel Jackson that died of radiation poisoning, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Sam exclaimed, tearing her arm away and staring at the psychologist incredulously. "My friend is... he's... I'm not sure _where_ he is, but it's not here. In that room is a little boy dying of pneumonia, and I might be able to help. He deserves that chance, don't you think?"

Sabrina gave her a satisfied smile. "I just wanted to be sure that was clear in your mind, that's all. I read the reports about Doctor Jackson's death and ascension and how it affected the rest of SG-1." She shrugged at Sam's surprised look. "I needed to know what kind of effect having Daniel Jackson's clone around would have on the people here, since the adult... original, for lack of a better word, had left in such a dramatic - and traumatic - fashion. Everything you've said and done up to this point has been more than encouraging, I don't want you to think otherwise. But when Janet told me what was happening, I was afraid you and the others would draw a few too many parallels."

Sam gave a small smile. "I have to admit that's what I was thinking when I remembered the healing device. Speaking of, I should really get back in there. Who knows when he'll have another attack?"

The black-haired woman gave her a tiny shove. "Go. Don't let me keep you." She grinned and headed back up to the observation deck.

Janet raised her head from the chart she was looking over when Sam walked back in. "Sam, I was worried..." Her voice trailed off when she saw the item her friend wore. "Will that work on an illness like this?" she asked.

"It can't hurt to try." Sam tried to smother the fear she felt when she remembered the last time she'd used the device.

Janet caught it anyway. "Just remember, this isn't the same thing. Daniel, the other Daniel, was overwhelmed with radiation. It was just too much. A virus like this has to be easier to deal with."

Sam nodded. "One way or the other, I'm going to try." She stood next to the bed and held the healing device over the sleeping child's chest. Her eyes closed, and a few moments later a golden light enveloped the small body.

Fifteen minutes later, the handheld disc finally turned off, and Sam slumped into the chair Janet had placed just behind her. "Holy Hannah, am I tired," she gasped, her eyes not leaving the form on the bed.

"Did it work?" Janet asked.

"I think so. It felt like I was working on more than the virus, though." Sam frowned in thought. "Do you think that was because I was dealing with the bacterial infection, too?"

Before Janet could answer, wide blue eyes fluttered open and quickly shifted to the seated blonde. Daniel swallowed and pulled a hand out from under the covers, reaching urgently for her. "Sam," he breathed in a barely-audible whisper.

Janet covered her mouth with her hands at the sound of the little voice as Sam grasped the tiny hand, grinning as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm here, Daniel. I'm here. How do you feel?" Daniel nodded and squeezed his fingers, a small smile blossoming across his features.

Janet stepped over, quickly listening to the boy's chest with her stethoscope. "I'm not hearing any abnormal breath sounds," she announced. "I think you might have done it, Sam." She quickly called in a nurse to take some blood samples.

Sam said nothing in reply, merely leaning forward and planting a light kiss on Daniel's forehead then running her free hand over the short blond locks. Woman and child shared a gentle expression before Daniel fell back asleep, Sam nodding off in the chair soon after.

* * *

"It's absolutely incredible," Janet said to the group gathered in the briefing room the next day. "Not only did Sam eliminate both the viral and bacterial infections, she also increased the growth rate of Daniel's underdeveloped lymph nodes." 

"What does that mean, Doctor?" General Hammond asked.

Jack frowned. "Does this have something to do with the kid's lack of an immune system?" he asked.

Jonas' eyes widened. "Did all the children have that problem?"

Janet held up her hands to stop the questions. "Let me explain a few things. First, Daniel had an immune system, but it was suppressed. In other words, it wasn't functioning at one hundred percent capacity. I'd probably put it somewhere around thirty percent if I had to guess. That's what made the viral infection so deadly, since modern medicine hasn't been able to fight viruses effectively."

"Will this happen again then?" Hammond asked.

"Most likely not," Janet replied. "As I said, Sam's use of the Goa'uld healing device increased the growth rate of Daniel's lymph nodes, so that they're now completely developed. I'd be willing to hazard a guess that his immune system is now fully functional."

"I'm really hoping we won't have to test that theory for a while," Sam said with a small smile.

Janet returned the expression before continuing her explanation. "Once I got the blood test results from after Sam's use of the healing device back, I went over the medical files Doctor MacDonald left for us, as well as his own notes. It seems that the cloning process left a few of the children's systems underdeveloped." She frowned. "They classified them as secondary, since they weren't deemed absolutely necessary to the children's survival in the sterile, restricted environment they were to be raised in. They were monitored of course, and it was found that they were merely developing at a slower rate and would eventually catch up to the rest of the body."

Sam was also frowning. "They considered using the same nanotechnology that Colonel O'Neill was exposed to on Argos to speed up the results, but it was decided they could learn more if they let things develop at their natural rate."

"I read about that," Sabrina mused as Jack scowled at the reminder of his brush with premature old age. "Why do I get the feeling they weren't sure if they could program the nanites to focus _only_ on the systems that needed development?"

"That's what Doctor MacDonald's notes suggested," Sam said. "That, and he wasn't sure what the effect of mixing the two different technologies would be."

"I'll give the man credit for his better safe than sorry attitude," Jack commented. "It's not exactly one that's wide-spread throughout the NID."

"However, that caution may have left the children vulnerable to the illness which claimed their lives," Teal'c said solemnly.

Janet shook her head. "I'm not so sure. Considering how quickly the genetic degradation cascaded, I'm not sure a fully functional immune system would have made much of a difference. It was the weak DNA structure that was the main culprit here."

Jonas leaned forward slightly, his brows coming together as his forehead became creased in thought. "So what does this mean for Daniel's future? Is he in any danger of his immune system failing again?"

"I don't think so," Janet replied. "His white blood cell count is already above what it was at the worst of the pneumonia. I think the exposure to the healing device activated his entire immune system. I'd like to use the next couple of days to monitor the situation, make sure everything settles down to normal levels like I expect."

"That should be fine, Doctor," Hammond agreed.

"I can use the time to get things ready at home," Sam added. "I told Daniel I'd wait to redecorate his room until he was there, but I can get some clothes and other things."

Sabrina cleared her throat. "I don't think this illness has set Daniel back, but I want to make sure. The time Daniel's still on base should be enough."

Jack narrowed his eyes slightly as he gazed at the psychologist. "What, no comments about how the rest of us can reconnect with him now that he'll be out of the isolation room?"

The black-haired woman returned his look calmly. "I guess I kind of figured that was par for the course. Someone has to keep him company while Sam's running errands. I'd recommend each of you help out with that, but you should only do what you're comfortable with. There's plenty of time now to develop a relationship with Daniel."

"Right," Jack said, his expression clearing. "So long as we're clear."

"Do you really think the pneumonia might cause adjustment problems for Daniel?" Jonas asked.

Sabrina shook her head. "Not exactly. I want to observe him for the next couple of days to be sure, but I have a feeling this has actually done him some good. When he was feeling sick and scared, you were all there for him. That's the kind of thing that builds trust." She smiled when she saw the subtle looks in the colonel's direction. "Yes, even Colonel O'Neill. He popped in a few times when there was no one else around, usually during the night shift after Major Carter had fallen asleep."

Jack gave her an irritated frown. "Thanks, Doc."

The Italian woman grinned. "Anytime."

"I think that about settles everything," Hammond announced, his eyes twinkling with suppressed amusement. "Let me know if anything changes. You're dismissed." He stood and took a couple steps toward his office before stopping to look back over his shoulder. "Oh, and Major Carter, the paperwork is all filed. You're now officially Daniel's guardian."

"Thank you, sir!" Sam said happily.

"Congratulations, Major Carter," Teal'c said with a small smile after Hammond had disappeared into his office. "I know you will be worthy of the responsibility you have undertaken."

The blonde woman gave her friend a grateful smile. "Thanks, Teal'c. It means a lot to me that you think so."

Janet stepped over and hugged her. "You'll be great, Sam. And if you need anything, let me know."

Jack shrugged and offered a hand. "I already told you you'd make a great mom, Carter," he said as his 2IC shook the offered appendage. "You've got all the right instincts."

"Just let us know what you need," Jonas said, grinning. "Doctor Fraiser's not the only one who'll be there for you."

"A good support system, just like I said before," Sabrina commented. "You and Daniel are going to be just fine, Major. There's a few things I want to look over, so we'll just set up a schedule for my visits sometime before the two of you leave. I'll leave you to your celebration." She nodded with approval at the group gathered in the briefing room then headed for the exit.

"Thank you, Doctor Marconi," Sam called out after her. "For everything." Sabrina merely gave her a wave and left.

"You know, I just thought of something," Jack said once the psychologist was gone. "What are you going to tell your brother? I mean, we can just tell Jacob the whole story and he should be fine, but what about Mark?"

Sam stared at her commanding officer and just blinked for a long moment. "Oh my God, I hadn't even considered that." Her gaze dropped to the floor as she thought about what other little details she might have forgotten. Not that her brother was a "little detail". It just proved how much the people at the SGC were closer to her than her blood relation. "I guess I can just tell him that I've decided I've put off motherhood long enough and chose to adopt. But, because I'm still not willing to give up my career, I decided to pick an older child." She looked up again, her gaze traveling over each of her friends' faces. "I have no idea what kind of background story to give for Daniel, though."

Teal'c returned her gaze calmly while the others frowned. "It is not necessary for you to deviate far from the truth. Merely explain that young Daniel was raised in northern Colorado before you brought him into your home, and that he has never known his parents."

Everyone looked at the Jaffa in slight shock. "I think you've been hanging around with us too long, Teal'c," Jack said. "You're getting far too good at cover stories."

"On the contrary, O'Neill. As you well know, I was forced to deliver 'cover stories' to Apophis regularly long before I knew of any of you. It has merely taken me time to adjust to your world's culture." A hint of a knowing smile curved the corners of his mouth upward.

"Well, no matter how you came up with it, thank you, Teal'c," Sam said with a short laugh. "I can fill in the little details during my leave."

"Thinking of your leave, will it be okay for us to call you during that first week?" Jonas asked. "I don't want to interrupt if you think you'll need the time to focus on adjusting."

Sam gave him a fond look. "Don't worry so much, Jonas. A few phone calls won't hurt, and Daniel should get used to things like that. There's no controlling telemarketers, after all."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Ain't that the truth." He gave her a considering look. "So you want some company when you go kid shopping?" he asked. "I'm sure we can each take turns." The others looked at her expectantly.

"That would be wonderful, thank you, sir. I'd be an idiot to turn down the experience some of you have with this kind of thing."

"I only wish I had experience with a toddler," Janet said wistfully. "But I'll do what I can."

"We all will," Jack said quickly, not wanting to discuss his experience. "I take it you're going to start this afternoon?" he asked Sam.

She nodded. "I thought I'd do some clothes shopping since I have accurate sizes from the outfits Jonas found in the basement of the lab, maybe pick up some children's toiletries, things like that."

"That's a good idea, Sam. I'll give you a list of medicines you'll want to keep around the house," Janet offered.

Jack looked around. "So who's got first shift? Unfortunately, I have some paperwork I can't put off any more. I'm good for either tonight or tomorrow, though."

Jonas looked at Teal'c before responding. "How about I stay here and keep Daniel company while Sam and Teal'c do the shopping? It looks like the colonel and Doctor Fraiser are going to be busy, and I can bring some of my work with me when I go to see him. Would that be all right?"

Teal'c bowed his head briefly. "I would be honored to accompany you, Major Carter."

"That works for me. I'll go have lunch with Daniel and let him know what's going on. We can go around one." Sam gave the Jaffa a smile which he returned with a small one of his own.

"I think that's everything then," Jack announced as he clapped his hands together. "This meeting is adjourned." The rest of them laughed, or smiled in Teal'c's case, then they all left the briefing room.

* * *

Sam was surprised by what good taste Teal'c ended up having in regards to clothes for Daniel. They spent a very pleasurable three hours at the mall picking out a beginning wardrobe for the major's young charge, the children's toiletries she'd mentioned that morning, the medicines Janet suggested, a few pieces of kid-sized furniture, and some children's dishes and utensils. She figured she could rearrange her cupboards either later that night or the next morning. 

Daniel had been moved once again to his VIP room after being cleared medically, so Sam headed there once she'd returned to the base. She knocked briefly then stuck her head in the door. "Hey there," she said, smiling at the sight of the little boy reading a children's book with an intense focus.

He looked up, surprised, then smiled when he recognized who his visitor was. He glanced around for a moment before picking up a scrap of paper to use as a bookmark, standing after he'd marked his page.

Sam stepped inside, closing the door behind her and moving over to the boy. She knelt down in front of him. "How was your afternoon?" she asked, reaching out to rub one of his arms gently.

He glanced down to where she was touching him, a little confused at the contact, then decided he liked it. He smiled. "I was reading," he whispered once he looked back at Sam.

"I can see that. Do you like the book?"

"They were okay," Daniel said with a shrug.

That's when Sam noticed the book she'd seen Daniel reading was one of five lying on the table. Her eyes widened as her hand stilled. "You read all five of those books?"

Daniel shrugged again, unsure of Sam's response. "Almost."

Sam whistled in appreciation and gave the child a wide smile. "That's impressive. I'll have to be sure to get you plenty of books I see. Where's Jonas?" She noted how Daniel had relaxed at her smile. Had he been afraid she wouldn't approve of him reading?

"Gone. Right before you came."

"I'm glad he could keep you company while I was gone. Do you want to get dinner?" Daniel nodded and she stood, offering her hand. "Then let's go down to the commissary." Hand in hand the pair left.

Dinner was uneventful, although Sam noticed that Daniel wouldn't speak to her in public. Thanks to Sabrina's mention of it, she also noticed that he paid close attention when Jonas and Teal'c joined them a short while after they'd begun to eat. The three members of SG-1 discussed the lack of information the Tok'ra had been able to come up with regarding Anubis and his new super weapon. They knew it would give him a distinct advantage, but no one was sure how that would manifest itself yet, and everyone knew it wouldn't be good. The table had gotten quiet at that point, and Sam had glanced over at Daniel and found a small, worried frown on his face. She swept a gentle hand over his hair and smiled, saying, "Don't worry, Daniel. We'll figure out a way to stop him." Daniel smiled at the reassurance and went back to his meal.

When they'd finished, Sam, Jonas, and Teal'c escorted Daniel back to his VIP room, the latter two wishing him a good night before going on their way. "So," Sam said once she and Daniel were once again alone in the room, "what did you want to do now?" Daniel shrugged. "Hmm, what can we do to kill time before we get you ready for bed?" She glanced around the space in consideration. "Well, we could draw or color in these new coloring books I see Janet got you," she said, picking up the top book of a short stack that hadn't been there before dinner. There was a Post-It Note stuck to the cover that said, "You guys might like these. Love, Janet."

Daniel didn't respond, so Sam kept thinking. "I suppose you could finish your book, but then what would I do?" she muttered. She didn't notice Daniel take a step back at the look of serious contemplation on her face. Suddenly she snapped her fingers and looked at the blond boy with a bright smile. "I know! How would you like me to read you a few fairy tales from the book I just bought today? It'll be a really nice way for us to end the day together."

Daniel hesitated for a moment, taking in the happy, expectant look on Sam's features. "You can read to me," he whispered, then stood up straight and clasped his hands together in front of him just below his waist.

"Come on, let's sit on the bed," Sam invited with a laugh, leaning over to pull a thick book out of a bag she'd left near the table when she'd returned from her shopping trip. "We'll be more comfortable there." She quickly made her way over and sat on top of the covers, patting the space next to her. "You'll like this, I promise."

"Okay," Daniel replied politely, a little confused at Sam's enthusiasm. He started to clamor up on his own before he was startled by Sam's assistance.

"Looked like you were having some trouble," she said quietly with a gentle look of understanding. Daniel could only blink wide blue eyes in return.

Sam opened up the book and rested it in her lap before draping an arm around Daniel's shoulders, pulling him close. "Is this okay?" she asked. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Daniel shook his head, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I'm okay," he breathed.

Sam bit her lower lip at the sound of his reply and loosened her hold on the child. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Not scared," Daniel said quickly, confused by Sam's reaction and worried he'd offended her.

"Maybe not," Sam conceded, "but you're not used to physical contact like that, are you?" Daniel dropped his head and shook it. "Hey, that's okay," she said as she brushed the back of her fingers gently across his cheek. "I'm used to snuggling up with my niece and nephew. I need to get used to how you want to be handled. How about I just hold up the book as I read, so you can see the words and pictures as I go? You sit as close as you want to."

Daniel looked up at her, unsure. He searched her eyes for a long moment, then the tension went out of his shoulders. "Okay," he whispered.

Sam waited until he was settled, his leg touching hers, then began to read. She made it through two stories, complete with funny voices - she was so proud when she saw she had made Daniel smile - before she decided it was time for Daniel to clean up and get ready for bed. The shower went quickly, and Daniel didn't require assistance with his pyjamas, so Sam just watched from the bathroom doorway as the boy finished up his nightly ritual. The woman was sad to see the evidence of a firmly ingrained pattern in such a young child, but struggled to hide it from her sensitive charge.

"Okay, into bed," she announced as cheerfully as she could when Daniel had turned around, apparently waiting for a final inspection. She made a mental note to talk with Sabrina about this behavior as soon as she could. In the meantime, she followed the young boy back to the bed and gave him a boost before covering him up with the blankets she had turned down for him. "Are you going to be okay here tonight?" Sam asked gently, absently smoothing out the covers nearest her legs.

There was a pause before Daniel nodded, and he tried to smile.

"Well, would you mind if I stuck around for a while? Maybe keep you company until you fall asleep? I've been really worried about you the last few days, and sitting with you would probably make me feel better." Sam paused. "And maybe you'd feel better, too."

"You can stay," Daniel quickly whispered, his eyes dropping shyly. He was glad she'd made the offer, even though he didn't exactly understand why. But he was beginning to think it didn't matter, because Sam just seemed to know what made him feel better.

"Thank you," Sam whispered in return, smiling softly.

Daniel decided right then and there that that smile was his favorite. He didn't know what it meant - no one had ever smiled at him quite like that before - but it gave him a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. And it was a feeling he really, really liked. As Sam pulled one of the chairs from the table next to the bed, Daniel returned her expression, and with one last sensation of his guardian's hand lightly brushing his cheek he slipped quietly into slumber.

Sam watched the boy for a long, quiet moment, reveling in the warm atmosphere the scene produced. When she saw Daniel had fallen into a deep sleep, she stood and replaced the chair, then went to stand once more at Daniel's bedside. She gazed down lovingly on the tiny form and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Sweet dreams, Danny. I'll be back in the morning," she whispered.

Just as she reached the door to return to her lab and an experiment that was waiting, she realized what she had just said, and it made her pause. She'd never had the urge to call her adult friend anything but his full name, no matter how many times Jack and her father referred to him otherwise. Daniel was just... Daniel. But the little boy lying in that bed, the same little boy she had comforted through a horrible illness, that she had secretly longed to bring into her home... somehow it was just natural to think of him as Danny. Sam smiled. She knew then that she truly had the child and the adult separate in her mind, and always would. With a wide smile she blew one last kiss in the direction of the bed and went on her way, her heart light and looking forward to the days to come.


	5. Chapter 5

A little after breakfast the next morning, Sam stopped by Sabrina Marconi's VIP room, hoping the psychologist was in and awake. A muffled call to enter quelled her trepidation, and she went inside. "Hi, Doctor Marconi," Sam said in greeting as she shut the door behind her, smiling at the black-haired woman who sat at the table in her room surrounded by papers.

"Major Carter," Sabrina replied with a returning smile, "good morning. What can I do for you?"

"Actually I have a few questions regarding Daniel. I noticed the way he was acting last night, and it bothered me."

"Have a seat," Sabrina said, gesturing at the empty seat across from her before organizing her mess and clearing the tabletop. "What exactly caught your eye?" she asked once the blonde had taken her offer.

Sam sighed and proceeded to describe the evening she'd spent with Daniel the night before. "It shook me up a bit when he practically stood at attention when he finished taking care of things in the bathroom, like he was waiting for me to inspect him and make sure he did everything right. It took everything I had to keep things casual and get him into bed." She shook her head. "I guess I should have expected this from what Jonas and Janet have told me about what things were like down in the basement of that lab. But I just couldn't help thinking, 'This boy is three years old! How could they do this to him?' I can only hope I didn't let on."

Sabrina gave her a sympathetic smile. "I don't think Daniel noticed. But there was no real way you could have known how Daniel was going to act. He was too much in shock when he first got here, and then he got sick. I think part of it might even be that he knows you're in charge of him now, so it's your job to pick up where his previous instructors left off. Thus, he expects the same kind of treatment."

"I have no intention of treating him like that," Sam insisted firmly. She paused and considered it for a moment. "Is that going to cause a problem? Should I try to ease him out of that kind of behavior?"

"Major, unhealthy treatment like what Daniel has been subjected to is nothing that should be continued. As long as he doesn't show signs of reacting badly to the change in care it should be fine to keep doing what you're doing. Besides, Daniel needs to understand how _you_ do things. Just be consistent."

Sam dropped her head and blew out a puff of air. "I'm starting to see what I've gotten myself into." She raised her head again. "There are a lot more concerns than I first thought."

Sabrina chuckled. "I think every new parent goes through this. Kids don't exactly come with an instruction manual." She gave a rueful half-smile. "I wish I could say I knew that from personal experience, but I _am_ an auntie. And my sister has told me stories. My schooling can only take me so far."

Sam grinned. "I'm an auntie, too. Between my niece, nephew, and Cassie, I at least have a bit of hands-on experience. But Daniel..." She sighed, her expression fading somewhat. "He's different."

"I'm glad you can see that. Some people aren't that flexible. However," the Italian woman continued in a much lighter tone, "considering your job, I'd be more surprised if you _weren't_ flexible in your thinking. How was Daniel this morning?"

"He smiled at me when he woke up," Sam said proudly. "And he let me hug him before we left for the commissary. Teal'c's with him now."

"Did he return the hug?" Sabrina asked curiously.

Sam shook her head. "No. Actually he looked a little surprised by the question, and when I pulled away. I'd only given him a brief squeeze though; I didn't want him to panic like he did last night. I don't think he understands why I want to show him physical signs of affection like that."

Sabrina nodded her agreement. "You're probably right." She tapped the casing of Doctor MacDonald's diary that lay next to her right elbow. "The good doctor was pretty explicit about the kind of treatment the children received at the lab." The sapphire blue eyes turned frosty. "If those people weren't already dead, I'd be happy to oblige."

Sam smiled coldly. "I'd beat you to it."

"You probably would." Sabrina cleared her throat and took a deep breath, then returned to the previous subject. "Anyway, physical touch was not something that was common by any stretch of the imagination. It was a cold, impersonal thing that happened almost incidentally during medical physicals or other examinations. Obviously, it was more necessary when they were infants, but even then it happened only as needed. It's probably going to take quite a bit of adjustment for Daniel to become accustomed to it." The black-haired woman paused as a thought occurred to her, making her frown slightly and slide her gaze off to the side.

"Doctor Marconi?" Sam asked, a little bit worried. "Is there going to be some kind of problem you didn't see before?"

Sabrina snapped her attention back to the blonde across from her. "What? Oh, no, no, no problem. Just the opposite, actually, or at least I hope so. The next time you ask to give Daniel a hug or gentle squeeze, explain it to him. Tell him why you want to do it. He has no frame of reference in regards to physical expressions of affection, but I think he's intelligent enough to understand the concept if you couch it in appropriate terms."

Sam nodded, smiling. "More than intelligent enough. They were only children's readers, but by the time I came by for dinner last night he'd read almost five books." She gave a short laugh and shook her head. "I wish I'd thought of that. As much as I understood why he reacted the way he did, I never considered the easiest solution."

Sabrina shrugged. "Sometimes those are the hardest to come up with."

"True."

A knock at the door had both ladies turning to look in that direction. "Come in," Sabrina called.

Jack O'Neill stuck his head around the suddenly open door. "Ah, Carter. Teal'c said I'd find you here. I found something out I think the both of you might be interested in. Meet me in the briefing room while I get the doc." And he was gone.

Sam and Sabrina shared a look. "I guess we should go to the briefing room," the astrophysicist said, rising to her feet.

"I guess so," the psychologist replied, smirking as she followed suit. The two women then left to do as requested.

* * *

"Ever since Doc Fraiser told us the flu bug is what helped kill the kids at the lab but the little sport in the VIP room didn't show any signs of it, something's been bugging me about the whole deal," Jack began once the rest of his team along with General Hammond, Janet, and Sabrina had gathered in the briefing room. "I finally realized how I could put things to rest when I woke up this morning." 

"I take it you discovered something," Hammond guessed.

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir, I did. I remembered we'd managed to salvage the last twenty-four hours of security camera footage, since Doctor MacDonald disabled the destruction protocol before it could be put into effect. I decided to watch our boy Nicholas Spencer, find out what he'd done with himself in the last few hours of his life."

Janet's face lit up with understanding. "Since he was most likely the source of the flu virus," she concluded.

Jack smirked. "Exactly. I expected to watch most of the footage in fast-forward - I don't need any lessons in food preparation - but about six hours in I saw something that caught my eye. Now up to that point he'd coughed every now and again, blew his nose occasionally..." The colonel stopped and grinned. "Would you believe he flushed his used Kleenex down the toilet so he wouldn't get caught?"

"Colonel," Hammond said, trying to keep the other man on track.

"Right. Well, it must have been about suppertime, because the kids came filing in like little automatons, picking up their trays and getting each of their dishes. But right before they did, Spencer sneezed over the applesauce. He'd turned his head to the side, and I'm sure he didn't think he got anything into the food, but I double checked the angle and it was over the applesauce." A small frown etched itself onto his features.

"Yuck," Sabrina commented with an expression of distaste.

Janet's brows furrowed in thought. "That _does_ explain how the virus was transmitted," she conceded.

Jonas leaned forward. "But how did Daniel avoid picking it up? I didn't get the impression that individual likes and dislikes were taken much into account."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "Now that we have discovered the deficiency of young Daniel's immune system, it is apparent he could not have been exposed to the virus at all."

"That's right," Sam said, realization dawning. "So what happened, sir?"

Jack shrugged. "Toddler coordination. As your squirt left the dinner line to go to what I'm guessing was his assigned table, he tried to shift one of his hands to make carrying the tray easier. It slipped and the tray tipped. He managed to catch it before everything hit the floor, but the applesauce was gone. The bowl broke and everything."

Silence fell as everyone in the room realized how close it had come for little Daniel. "Is not the influenza virus also an airborne contagion?" Teal'c asked finally. "How is it that young Daniel did not acquire the illness in that manner?"

Janet blinked. "I hadn't considered that. It's a good question."

"And I have the answer," Jack said a touch smugly, giving the base CMO a half-grin. "It's the magic of Lysol."

"What?" Sam asked, voicing the question everyone else was thinking.

"Every time Spencer sneezed or coughed, he sprayed the area with the stuff. Even that last time. He covered up the food and sprayed away." Jack shrugged.

Sabrina blinked. "I say again: yuck. That couldn't have been good for flavor."

Jack looked over at the psychologist. "I don't think the NID cared very much if the kids enjoyed what they ate." She bowed her head in concession of the point.

Janet fought back a smile. "Um, I hate to say this, sir, but that's not the answer you think it is. Lysol kills bacteria, not viruses. Now that I've considered it, most influenza viruses don't live very long in the open air. If Daniel was one of the last children like you suggested, most of the threat had been eliminated by Mother Nature herself."

"But the commercials say it kills ninety-nine percent of household germs," Jack protested, frowning.

"Bacteria, sir. They mean bacteria."

Jack's expression deepened into a scowl. "Lying bastards," he muttered.

"Well, I guess that solves _that_ mystery," Jonas said, fighting back a grin to match the one that had finally escaped Janet's control.

"Did the tape reveal anything else, Colonel?" Hammond asked.

Jack turned a very serious expression to his commander. "I'm afraid so, General. I didn't see it on Spencer's tape, but when I was scanning through the other tapes looking for his I noticed a little exchange that doesn't bode well. We don't have all of the DNA samples that were at the lab. MacDonald may not have known about it, but someone left that lab with some of the goods. Who knows what else they have hidden in some other hideaway?"

Hammond's mouth turned down into a small frown. "So we could be dealing with another incident like this at any time," he concluded.

Jack nodded. "Looks like."

"And this time they just might decide to use the nanotechnology and accelerate the clones' growth," Sam added.

"Is there any way you can track the samples down and get them back before that happens?" Sabrina asked.

"We have a couple avenues we can check, but because we're the good guys our hands are mostly tied," Jack replied.

Sabrina gave him a knowing smile then turned her attention to the general. "Is there anything my people at the CIA can do?"

Jack and Sam gave her a slightly startled look while Hammond considered it. "I'll have to speak to some people at the Pentagon. Let me think about this further and get some answers to some questions," the general responded. Sabrina nodded.

"In the meantime, I guess all we can do is wait," Jonas said, a touch of sadness in his tone.

"Unfortunately," Jack grumbled, frowning.

Hammond stood. "I believe that covers everything, unless anyone has anything to add?" There was silence from the rest of the room. "Then I'll start checking out those avenues Colonel O'Neill mentioned. Oh, Colonel?" He waited for Jack's inquisitive look. "Check the rest of those tapes. I want to know if anything else happened that Doctor MacDonald wasn't aware of, and if there are any further clues as to where those genetic samples may have ended up. Dismissed." He turned and left the room.

* * *

That afternoon, Jack and Sam went over her house with a fine toothed comb, child-proofing it against any dangers a curious three-year-old could get into. "Although I don't get the feeling he's going to be too much trouble in that regard," Jack had commented. 

"What do you mean, sir?" Sam asked.

"He seems a little too well trained to just randomly get himself into trouble. I just don't think you have to worry about him deciding to see if a penny fits in the electrical socket next to the entertainment center or trying to see how fast he can run a lap of the living room." Jack gave his second a serious look. "You have to teach him to lighten up, Carter. No child should grow up the way he's spent his first three years. Show him how to play, to explore. He may never be the most spontaneous child, but then again there's a lot of room for improvement. Even if he asks before he does those things, at least he'll think of doing them."

Sam nodded, smiling. "I'll do my best, sir."

Once they were finished, they headed back to the mountain, Jack to his examination of the security tapes from the lab and Sam to take Danny to dinner and spend some time with him before bed. Janet had told her it would only be one more day before Danny could come home, so Sam figured this would be the last uninterrupted time with him at the mountain. She was going to use the next day to organize her department to account for her six-week absence, getting everything in order so things would run smoothly without her. She'd already discussed being available in case of emergencies with General Hammond.

"Well, this is your last night in this room," Sam said to Danny with a gentle smile once she'd tucked him in. "Are you going to miss it?"

"I don't know," Danny whispered, his expression slightly confused. "Should I?"

"You don't have to," Sam said quickly, mentally giving herself a kick. "But I hope you like the room I have set aside for you at my house. Even if you don't like it right away, we can change it so you do. We can look on the internet for a new bed and dresser, and maybe even some other decorations so you can call that room your own."

Danny's brows furrowed. "I won't share with you?"

Sam shook her head. "No, I'll have the room just across the hall. It'll be all yours." She gave him a sympathetic look. "I know you're not used to things like that, having space of your own, but I promise you'll grow to like it. Most of the house we'll be sharing, you and me. But that room will be yours. Will that be okay?"

Danny swallowed. "You'll still be there?"

"Of course I will, sweetheart," Sam declared, reaching out to gently rub the boy's arm. "And if you have a bad dream or just want to make sure I'm okay, I'll be just across the hall. I'll make sure you know right where my bedroom is when we get home tomorrow night. I promise."

"Okay," Danny whispered, glancing at the blonde's lightly moving hand. The touch was soothing, and it made him think that it would be okay once he was in the new place. Sam promised, after all.

"All right then. I guess it's time for you to get some sleep. Did you want me to stay until you fall asleep?"

Danny stared at the earnest expression looking down on him and just knew there was something more to it he couldn't understand. Some inner voice told him it was all right, though, and that he'd like it when he finally _did_ understand. He smiled. "Please stay," he whispered, pulling a hand out from under the covers and reaching for the hand that rested next to his hip. The smile grew a bit when Sam gently squeezed his fingers, and he felt a strange warmth flow through him when she returned his expression. He was still reveling in the feeling when he slipped into slumber a few minutes later.

* * *

It was just after supper the next day when Sam and Danny walked up to the front door of her house. "Well, here we are," Sam said with a smile. She could only hope that the child at her side didn't notice the tremble of nervousness in her tone. 

Danny nodded as she pulled her keys out of her coat pocket and tightened his grip on the small bag that held his readers, coloring books, and crayons. This was the place he'd be living from now on, just him and Sam. He still couldn't believe that no other children would be staying with them. Part of him wondered if the other children he suspected were being raised somewhere else weren't old enough to join them yet, but the rest just accepted Sam's explanation that he was special and she'd been happy to take care of him.

Soon enough the door was unlocked and was swinging inward, and Sam gently pushed Danny ahead of her into the entryway. The little boy's jaw dropped as his guardian closed the door behind them. There were pictures and color and light everywhere! He'd fluctuated between frightened and fascinated on the ride over from the mountain as things he'd only seen pictures of flashed past the windows, but now, standing in the building he was going to be spending most of his time in, the differences between what he'd known before and what he was facing for his future really came home to him. This was what Sam meant when she said things would be different from now on.

Sam watched Danny's eyes widen and dart around the narrow space of the front hall and could only guess at what was flying through his mind. She stayed silent, thinking it might be best if he found his own equilibrium. She'd warned him things would be different; she could only hope it was enough to prepare him.

Finally, she felt the child bump up against her legs as he took a step back. She was slightly surprised when one of his hands darted back to grip her pant leg, but did her best not to let it show. "Daniel," she said softly, "why don't you let me hang up your coat? Then I'll show you around."

Danny spun around and looked up at her. He swallowed nervously, then took reassurance in the encouraging expression the woman wore. He nodded and set down his bag before doing as requested. Once she put their coats away in the closet to the left of the door, she took a couple of steps forward and gestured to the next door on that side of the hall. "This will be your room," she said quietly, opening the door. Danny moved over and looked inside.

There was a twin-sized bed and a small dresser in the far corner. A large window took up a lot of the left-hand wall, while two smaller ones let light in from the wall opposite the door. A plain beige-colored comforter and white sheets covered the bed, and matching white pillowcases stood out against the darkly-stained wood headboard. It was a small room in all actuality, but Danny looked on it like it was enormous. He couldn't believe all this space was for him alone. He'd never experienced anything like it. "This is mine?" he finally whispered, reaching behind him to once again take hold of Sam's pant leg.

"All yours," Sam confirmed, tightening her jaw to fight back the tears that threatened to come. "I haven't done anything special with it, but we can redecorate it any way you like once you're settled in." She cleared her throat as the boy nodded. "Would you like to see the rest of the house? We can leave your bag here."

"Okay," Danny breathed, his voice barely audible.

Sam took the child on a tour of the house, placing special emphasis on the bathroom next door and her bedroom across the hall. Danny was very quiet as they walked through the rooms, his eyes darting around everywhere. Sam couldn't help but continue to assure him that this was his house now too, to the point where she felt like she was babbling. Finally, her words trailed off, and the two of them stood silently in the middle of the living room. She only wished she knew what to do next.

"Really just you and me?" a little voice whispered. One more time his hand reached out behind him and took hold of Sam's pant leg.

Sam smiled shakily and nodded, then said, "Yes, just you and me, Daniel. This whole house is just for you and me."

Danny looked back over his shoulder and up to meet her gaze. "We really _are_ special, aren't we?"

Sam could help but give a little laugh. "You bet we are, Daniel. Never forget that."

"I won't," the boy promised solemnly. He brought his head back around to look again at his surroundings. "What do we do in here?"

"This is where we can sit and relax and entertain ourselves." Sam stepped over to the sofa and patted one of the cushions. "Why don't you sit down here? I'll get your books and then one for myself and we can sit and read for a while before we go to bed. Will that be okay?"

Danny immediately nodded his agreement. "Okay." He came over to the couch and did as he was told, his gaze still wandering around in awe with a touch of nervousness.

Sam smiled down on him. "I'll be right back."

And so the evening ended with the two of them spending some quiet time together before the usual nighttime rituals. Sam once again waited for Danny to fall asleep before leaving to take care of her own bedtime routine. Things had gone better than she'd expected, but it was still a long time before she slipped into slumber with a wish that the rest of her leave would go as smoothly.

* * *

Sam's eyes fluttered open the next morning and slowly drifted over to the clock on the bedside table. Seven o'clock. Seemed like a good time to start the day. She smiled up at the ceiling. Yet another reminder she was in the military, when seven o'clock was sleeping in on her day off. Well, she corrected herself as she threw her covers aside and got out of bed, the first day of her six weeks off. Now she'd just look in on Danny and get breakfast ready. 

She rapped gently on the door of the boy's bedroom before opening it a crack and sticking her head inside. What she saw had her eyes widening and breath catching before she stepped fully into the room. Danny was sitting on top of the covers of his made up bed, his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms tightly wrapped around his legs. His chin was pressed firmly to the top of his knees, and his eyes now stared with blatant fear at the woman standing just inside his doorway.

Sam swallowed and moved carefully over to the bed, not wanting to scare her charge anymore than he already was. "Daniel," she whispered, "what's the matter?"

"I made my bed," Danny barely breathed, "but I didn't know what to do after. I'm sorry. I'll know next time."

"What time did you get up, Daniel?" Sam forced herself to ask instead of scooping the frightened child into her arms.

"Six," came the almost inaudible answer.

Sam gasped. "You've been here like this for the past hour?" Danny nodded and stared straight ahead. "Daniel, why didn't you come over to my bedroom? I could have told you there wasn't anything to worry about."

Danny nodded again. "I'll know next time," he repeated.

Sam sat down on the bed near the boy, but without touching him. "Daniel, you're not in trouble. You haven't done anything wrong. I didn't tell you what happens in the morning around here. I guess I should have."

Danny said nothing, his eyes continuing to stare at the wall across from him. He just couldn't understand why he hadn't been punished yet. He hadn't done anything more than make his bed, and Sam said he wasn't in trouble. She even said it was her fault. What was going on?

"Oh, Daniel, I should have realized how much your normal routine was ingrained in you," Sam continued after a long moment of silence. "I should have told you what my plans were for this morning." She bit her lower lip as she thought what she should say next. "Um, what did you normally do after you made your bed?" she asked.

"We lined up to use the bathroom then got dressed," Daniel whispered dutifully, still not looking at Sam. "Then we went to breakfast."

"Okay." The blonde woman took a deep breath then released it to buy herself a little time. "Why don't we do this today then?" She got up and went over to the closet, opening the door to reveal shirts and pants hung up neatly at a level Danny could reach. "Go ahead and pick out what you want to wear today. Socks and underwear are in the bottom drawer of the dresser. I'll go see what we've got for food in the refrigerator and let you know what our choices are for breakfast. Will that be okay?"

Danny finally turned his head to look at Sam. He really wasn't in trouble? He would still be able to have breakfast? He could only wonder what would happen after they'd eaten. At length he nodded, since Sam seemed to be expecting it. She smiled and headed out the door.

Sam finished her kitchen inventory and turned around to look for her young charge. She frowned when she didn't see him. She'd purposefully taken her time, hoping to give the boy the chance to pick out his clothes and get dressed. She gave a soft sigh and returned to Danny's bedroom to see where he was at.

Blue-grey eyes blinked when they took in the sight of Danny standing in front of the closet staring at the clothes there when she stepped into the bedroom. She bit her lower lip, sure he was still incredibly shaken up by what had already happened that morning. "Here you go, Daniel," she said softly, walking over and pulling out a plain blue sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. She gave him a smile when she added socks and underwear to the pile on the bed. "Is that okay for today?" She made sure her voice held no negative notes that could be taken as a reprimand.

Danny swallowed and took a couple of shaky breaths before answering. "It's okay," he whispered.

"Then I'll let you get dressed." She gestured to a pair of small tennis shoes on the floor of the closet. "You can wear those today, too. When you're ready for the day, go ahead and join me in the kitchen. You remember where that is, right?" Danny nodded, his eyes still wide. "Good. I'll see you in a little bit then." She gave him one last bright smile and left the room.

"Oh my God," Sam said to herself as she leaned heavily against her kitchen island. "What have I gotten myself into?" She fought for a moment against tears of sympathy for the traumatized boy she had taken into her home. "What did they do to those children?"

A sound somewhat like a little stomp dragged Sam away from her second inventory of the refrigerator five minutes later. When she turned her head to find out what it was she saw Danny standing in the entrance of the kitchen at attention, his eyes looking straight ahead, his stance communicating louder than words that he was awaiting inspection. With a brief thought that this child could teach some new recruits a thing or two followed by an even quicker flash of sorrow about that fact, Sam stepped forward and knelt down to look her ward in the eye. "Daniel," she said after a moment, "you look fine. You... you don't have to stand at attention for me to look you over. I can... just do it... casually while you help me with breakfast. Do you understand?"

It took everything Samantha Carter had in her to keep her composure when Danny shifted his gaze to meet hers. Her voice had been gentle, as non-critical as she could make it, but there was deep confusion and a touch of leftover fear in the bright blue orbs that stared back at her. He gave a slight shake of his head, and Sam sighed.

"I'm pretty informal here at home," she began. "This is where I come to relax between missions when I don't have projects going on at the mountain. Does that make sense?"

Danny blinked a few times, his gaze dropping to the floor momentarily. When it rose to meet Sam's once again, it was clear and the boy nodded. "Yes," he whispered.

Sam was glad she'd decided to just deal with the most glaring facet of the child's behavior. She could only imagine how overwhelming it would have been for her to cover all at once every change Danny would be dealing with staying with her. She'd take the rest as it came. "So you don't have to worry about standing at attention," she repeated with a soft smile. "You can just ask if everything's okay, and we'll go from there. Okay?" She gave Danny a short, encouraging nod, and he hesitantly returned it, his stance relaxing. "Good. Then I'd say it's time for breakfast. What sounds good to you?" she mused, turning her attention back to her cupboards and missing the bewildered shrug the child gave her.

In the end the two of them ate bowls of cereal with fruit and toast, Sam figuring they'd had enough stress that morning. When they were done she showed Danny how to wash the dishes, pulling out the child-sized step-stool she'd bought so he could see into the sink. The task seemed to bring back the calm atmosphere they'd shared previously, and rest of the day was filled with quiet activities. They went through their usual nightly routines, and Sam sat with Danny once he'd gotten under his covers.

"I'm going to set your alarm for seven o'clock, okay? When it goes off, you can get up and change into the clothes we picked out after your shower." Sam smiled and smoothed the blanket under her hand next to Danny's hip. "If you wake up before that you can go ahead and go back to sleep until it's time for the alarm. My alarm will be set too, so we'll both be getting up at the same time. But if you wake up at any time because you had a bad dream, or if you think of something you need me for, you have my permission to come over to my bedroom and wake me up. I don't want you to think you have to sit here alone until I wake up. If you need me, I'll be here for you, just like I was when you were sick. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Danny replied quietly. He remembered quite fondly how Sam had sat with him while he'd been sick. He'd never been as scared when she'd been there, not that he understood why. But it had felt good, and most of him was glad he could ask her to help him not feel afraid in the future. The rest of him didn't understand why Sam was making the offer, but Danny just chalked that up to the differences he was running into left, right, and sideways in his new home. They were confusing, but he knew he could get used to them. That was what he was supposed to do, so he would. It helped that he knew it would make Sam happy. He liked to see her smile.

"I'm glad you do. And I'm glad I'll be able to help if you need it. Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?"

Danny watched Sam's hand as it absently rubbed lightly up and down his arm. He could barely feel it through his blanket, but it filled him with the same warmth the motion always seemed to produce. He gave Sam a small, shy smile. "Please stay," he said quietly. Sam returned the expression and nodded before turning out the lamp on the bedside table. It wasn't long before the boy had slipped into slumber.

* * *

The week went by relatively quickly. It didn't go as smoothly as Sam would have liked, but she'd always figured reality wasn't going to match her hopes. Danny still seemed relatively acclimated, however, even if it looked like he wasn't completely over the rigid structure he'd been raised in previously. Sabrina's visit was more than welcome. 

Danny was sitting at the table in the corner just off of the kitchen when the doorbell rang. He glanced up from his drawing a bit confused, never having heard the sound before. "Don't worry, Daniel," Sam said with a smile. "That's just the doorbell. I bet it's Doctor Marconi letting me know she's here for our weekly visit." The corners of Danny's mouth twitched upward in response and the boy returned to his work.

Sam had been correct in her guess. The Italian woman indeed stood in the physicist's doorway when Sam answered the bell. "Ah, Major Carter," Sabrina greeted with a smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, no, we finished lunch a little over half an hour ago. Daniel's drawing right now, actually. Come on in." Sam gestured for the psychologist to enter and shut the door once she had.

"Hello, Daniel," Sabrina said cheerfully to the young boy when the two women reached the kitchen. "I hope your week has gone well." Danny looked up from his drawing once again and stared at the black-haired figure for a long, silent moment. Finally, he gave a slight nod, causing Sabrina's smile to widen.

"Um, how do you want to do this?" Sam asked, surprise poorly hidden in her tone.

Sabrina didn't take her gaze away from the boy who was still watching them. "I think we'll just stay here at the table and talk for a while. When we're done, you and I can talk."

Sam nodded. "That'll be fine. I'll just leave you two to it then. I'm going to be in the computer room, Daniel, if you need me. Will that be okay?" Danny focused on the blonde and blinked a bit. He hesitated then nodded once again.

Sam smiled reassuringly at the child and walked out of the room as Sabrina went over to the table and asked for permission to sit down. Once she'd escaped into her computer room, she released an explosive breath and flopped onto one of her desk chairs. Danny had reacted better than she'd expected to Doctor Marconi's appearance, and he'd floored her when he actually responded to her greeting. It was just the icing on an amazing week, and it gave her all the more questions to ask the psychologist when it was her turn to talk to her.

She was checking her email twenty minutes later when a light rap on one of the bookcases to either side of the entryway of the room brought her head around to face her smiling visitor. "Done already?" Sam asked, a little surprised.

"There's only so much you can do when your patient doesn't talk to you," Sabrina said with a shrug. "I'm just happy he was willing to acknowledge me when I got here. It's a huge step forward."

"I suppose so," Sam agreed. "He totally shocked me when he nodded to you like that."

Sabrina considered it. "I think it might have been because you were still in the room. He didn't respond again, at least not directly." She held up a hand to stop the startled exclamation that looked ready to burst from the seated physicist. "I wasn't expecting it, either. I really just talked to him for a little bit, explaining that I was going to be coming by once a week to check on how he was doing and he could talk to me or not as he wanted, and then I watched him while I wandered around your living room. He did let me look at the picture he was drawing, though. He even let me hold it for a minute." She smiled as she walked further into the room, taking a seat at the other computer desk. "You'll like it."

Sam frowned. "So how's Daniel doing?"

"Better than I'd expected, to be honest. I was afraid he was going to be... Oh, how should I put this? Let's say, looking over his shoulder a lot more than he is. Waiting for the living structure from the lab to snap back into place. Does that make sense at all?"

"Yeah, I think I understand," Sam said with a short laugh at the self-directed frustration she saw on the normally-self-assured features before her. "I've been watching for that myself."

"I'm glad you thought of that, too," Sabrina said, her expression clearing with relief. "How have you been dealing with those expectations?"

Sam's frown returned. "That's something I wanted to talk with you about, actually. There's been a bunch of incidences this week, the worst one the first morning we were home. It looks like he expects to be told what to do every minute of every day. And it wouldn't surprise me if he does. I've kind of been handling it one incident at a time. I didn't want to overwhelm him with rules."

Sabrina's brows furrowed in thought. "I'm not sure that's the right way to go," she mused. "Once I let Daniel go back to his drawing, I noticed he kept watching the clock and appeared ready to put away his crayons at a moment's notice. It's less than I'd expected, so the rules you've already explained have lessened his immediate anxiety, but there's still quite a bit there under the surface. You might want to sit down with him and explain to him in as much detail as you think he can understand how things are going to work around here, and I mean in their entirety."

Sam looked at her incredulously. "He's three. Don't you think that'll be overwhelming?"

"First, he's not a typical three year old. I know you can't go into the kind of detail you would with an adult, but he can take more than you think. Second, and most importantly, he's coming from an extremely structured environment. Those rules are no longer in place and nothing has replaced them. He's a bit lost. Add to that the complete difference in physical setting and lack of other children and... Well, let's just say that's as overwhelming as you're afraid an overview of your house rules would be. It's six to one, half a dozen on the other." Sabrina gave the major an understanding smile. "You've done a wonderful job so far, I don't want you to think otherwise. He wouldn't be as comfortable here as he is if you hadn't."

"Why didn't you recommend this before we left the mountain?" Sam asked, a bit frustrated with the situation.

Sabrina shrugged. "I could not guess what Daniel's reaction was going to be to leaving the mountain. I really didn't have any idea. I probably should have given you some warning, but I just couldn't be sure. After watching you handle him during his bout of pneumonia, I fully trusted you to be able to help him through this first week. I knew I could take a look at how he was doing then and make a better judgment call." The psychologist sighed and dropped her gaze to the floor. "I made a mistake; I'm sorry. I played this one too cautiously." She brought her eyes back up. "I'll do my best not to play my hand too close again."

Sam smiled. "You're human, Doctor Marconi, and very concerned for Daniel's welfare. I think you didn't want my reactions to Daniel's behavior when we got home to be pre-set in stone, and I can appreciate that." The smile faltered a bit. "But you're sure I haven't..."

"Like I said before, Major, you've done wonderfully," Sabrina reassured her before Sam could finish. "You can start to take care of Daniel's insecurities with that discussion of the rules, and everything should be fine. And if you ever have any troubles, you can always call me. You don't have to wait for these weekly visits." The two women shared a relieved smile, then Sabrina continued. "So what else is on your mind? Give me some specifics on what's been going on here. Has anyone from the SGC called as promised?"

"Jonas has called three or four times, and the colonel and Teal'c have checked up on me, too. Janet called just yesterday to find out if I wanted to introduce Daniel to Cassie, maybe set myself up with a babysitter for the future when Daniel's ready to spend time alone with someone other than a member of SG-1." Sam grinned. "I guess that was Cassie's idea."

"And it's a good one. Everybody needs a break from their responsibilities once in a while, even if it's just for a short time. You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that from Tabitha." Sabrina rolled her eyes jokingly and smiled.

Sam laughed. "I take it Tabitha is your sister?" she asked.

Sabrina nodded. "She lives in L.A. with her husband and three kids. I don't get to see her nearly enough. But enough about that. What about the rest of the week?"

Sam sighed. "Well, the one thing that's stumping me is that Daniel isn't taking advantage of the choices he has here. We've been picking out his clothes for the next day when he goes to bed so he can just get up and get dressed when his alarm goes off. Well, he looks in the closet, but he doesn't say anything until I've pulled something out, and then he just says it's okay. The same kind of thing happens when I offer him choices of meals and activities. What's going on? I would think he'd be happy with the chance to make these decisions for himself after the restrictive environment he was in."

"You would, and I certainly would, but Daniel doesn't know what it's like to make those choices. While most people would relish their newly-found freedom and embrace it whole-heartedly, we're dealing with a child who doesn't understand what freedom is. You've been seeing Daniel as no one else has for the past week, seeing more of the child he really is, and you feel for that child, comparing his experiences against your own. It's a perfectly natural reaction. But Daniel hasn't had the normal upbringing you and I had." Sabrina gave Sam an understanding look and shrugged.

"I guess I keep thinking he's just a normal kid who's had a bad experience," Sam said thoughtfully, her volume low. "Even when he was standing at attention and waiting for me to inspect him, my thoughts were more like how could they train a child act like this, force a child to act against his nature, instead of really believing that Daniel acts this way because he doesn't know any other way."

"Like I said, it's a perfectly natural reaction," Sabrina said sympathetically. "And I guess I thought you already understood the issue when we talked about his wait for an inspection after that shower at the SGC. I should have made sure."

"Oh, you had every reason to think that," Sam replied with a wave of dismissal. "_I_ thought I understood. I guess I needed more evidence before I could really see the whole picture." She paused to take a deep breath. "So what do I do now?"

Sabrina thought for a few minutes. "I think you need to introduce the idea of Daniel having a right to make his own decisions and to have his own opinions slowly. When you sit down to pick out tomorrow's clothes, instead of presenting the whole closet, pick out two or three shirts and let him pick from those. Do the same with the other issues where you've noticed this behavior. Work your way up to him picking things out completely for himself. Don't hurry him; you'll need to take baby steps." Sabrina blinked then flinched, realizing what she'd said. "No pun intended."

Sam fought back a smirk. "Right."

"The most important thing to remember is Daniel isn't really normal," Sabrina continued haughtily as though she hadn't heard the other woman's response, "at least not the accepted definition of normal. But he _does_ have the potential, and that's what we're aiming for. I think we have a pretty good shot."

"That's a relief. I'd hate to think I'd taken on an impossible task." Sam smiled, true relief shining through her expression.

Sabrina laughed. "I'm surprised you think anything's impossible after what you've seen and done."

Sam's smile widened. "Who said I thought anything was impossible? I was going by what I figured _your_ definition would be."

The black-haired woman's smile turned mysterious. "I think you'd be surprised at what my definition of impossible would be." Before Sam could question what Sabrina meant by that, the psychologist continued, her features schooled into a serious mask. "Daniel appears to be doing quite well, like I said before. Why don't you just go ahead with the things we've discussed and we'll see how things are going next week." She stood. "And remember, call me if you have any questions. I'm available to you twenty-four, seven, the only exception being if an emergency at work comes up. If it does I'll try to let you know." She shrugged and picked up the briefcase she'd brought along. "I don't think it will though, so it's nothing to worry about."

"Thank you for the house call," Sam said, also rising to her feet, filing away her questions about the meaning of Sabrina's earlier statement to the back of her mind. "I really appreciate that you're willing to come to us."

"It's what's best for Daniel," Sabrina said simply. Then she smiled and started to head out of the room, calling out a farewell to the still-drawing Daniel as she went by the kitchen. Sam followed, a quick glance across the house confirming the boy was fine.

"I guess I should also thank you for taking care of both of us through this transition period," Sam said once they'd reached the front door. "It's been very helpful for me to talk things out with you."

Sabrina gave her a bright smile shining with gratitude. "That means a lot to me, Major Carter. I want you to know that."

Sam returned the expression. "Call me Sam. It looks like we're going to get to know each other pretty well by the time this is all over."

"Then you call me Sabrina." She gave a short laugh. "And I think you're right. I'll see you next week."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Once Sam had closed the door behind her guest, she leaned against it and tried to figure out how to take the next step. She knew she had to have the discussion about rules with Daniel as soon as she could, but she also knew it wasn't going to be easy. There was a fine line between Daniel's level of understanding - as intelligent as he was he was still a three year old - avoiding giving him too much information so he didn't get overwhelmed, and keeping everything in words and in a tone that didn't make Daniel think he'd done anything wrong. This was going to take some thought and planning.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Wow, it's been a while since I updated this here. I offer my sincerest apologies. Between issues with work, computer access, internet access, and going back to school, I've been a little busy. I'll try to get you guys up to date as soon as I can. In the meantime, let me know what you think!

* * *

At two o'clock, Danny laid down for his daily two-hour nap, giving Sam some extra time to think. Unfortunately it wasn't a lot of help. The flustered woman finally decided to wing it, as she wasn't a hundred percent sure what all her rules were either. She hoped she'd be able to give her young charge enough structure to provide the security he needed. 

A little after four, when Sam could see that Danny was completely awake, she sat the boy down on the couch in the living room. "I think we need to talk," she said simply. She sighed at the confused look she received in return. "I seem to have forgotten that you're used to living with a lot of rules, and that you're used to having someone tell you what to do all day. Since I haven't been doing that, you must have been confused around here this past week. Am I right?" 

Danny stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. "I didn't know what to do." 

"And that's not your fault," Sam said quickly. "What I wanted to go over with you are my rules for the house, so you don't have to be confused anymore. Will that help?" 

"Yes," Danny said, then nibbled slightly at his lower lip. 

"I promise they aren't anything to worry about," Sam reassured him, inwardly flinching at the sign of nervousness. "I'm pretty casual here." She leaned in close and said conspiratorially, "I leave most of the rules at work." Danny smiled and relaxed, causing Sam to do the same. 

Sam took a deep breath before continuing. "Why don't we start in the morning and work our way through the day? If you have any questions, I want you to go ahead and ask. In fact, you can always ask me questions if you have them. You don't have to wait until I ask if you have them." She saw the look of understanding and went on. "When you get up in the morning, go ahead and make your bed and get dressed, then use the bathroom. I don't mind what order those go in, and you don't have to wait for me to do any of them. Do you understand?" 

Danny blinked for a bit then nodded. "Yes, I understand." 

"When you're done, you can either come and see if I'm ready yet, or wait for me in the kitchen. You can help me make breakfast, and then we'll eat." She paused for Danny's nod of understanding. "Now, to be honest, I'm not sure what to do for the rest of the morning. What did you do where we found you?" 

"They taught us things," Danny answered. "I used the computer to learn new languages and how to read. I learned about numbers, too, but not as much as I learned about letters and words. And for an hour before lunch they would let us draw." 

Sam wondered at that last fact for a moment then returned to the matter at hand. "We can do something similar then, I guess. Probably not for the whole morning, since I don't want you inside that much, but we can keep going with your reading and languages." She paused for a couple of seconds. "Did you like drawing?" she asked quietly. 

Danny gave her a small smile. "Yes, I like to draw." 

Sam returned the expression. "You draw very well. We'll make sure you get to do that as much as you want." The boy's smile turned into a grin. "What did you do after lunch?" 

"We did exercises," Danny answered, his grin fading. "Then they told us about SG-1 and the other teams." 

"They read you our mission reports?" Sam asked. She had wondered about it, since Doctor MacDonald's notes mentioned how familiar the children at the laboratory were with the various exploits of the SG teams, SG-1 in particular. 

"Yes," Danny confirmed. "But they weren't as fun as the stories you've told me." 

Sam had to fight a smile at the obvious attempt to reassure her. "You still liked them, though, didn't you?" 

Danny looked down at his lap. "Yes," he whispered. 

This time Sam couldn't hold the laughter back. "It's okay, Daniel. You're allowed to like all kinds of stories, no matter who tells them to you." There was a moment of hesitation, but it wasn't long before Danny brought his head back up and gave her a tentative smile. "Okay, it looks like I can work some outside activities into the afternoon after your nap. But I have to be honest, there are going to be a lot of times when I won't know exactly what we're doing for the day, or when our schedule is going to have to change for one reason or another. We'll try to keep things the same as much as we can, but will you be okay with it if they do have to change?" 

"When will you be able to tell me if they're going to change?" Danny asked. 

"I can't always be sure, but I can promise to tell you as soon as I know. Will that be okay?" 

"That will be okay." Danny's face scrunched up in thought. "Will you be doing all the things with me?" 

Sam blinked at the unexpected question, then stopped herself from giving the automatic yes to really think about it. "No, not always," she said eventually. "I'll try to be nearby at least, but when I have to go back to work I won't always be able to be around." 

Danny considered it. "Who will I stay with when you go off-world?" he asked. 

"I, uh, I'm not sure yet. If you feel comfortable with her, I'd like to ask Janet - I mean Doctor Fraiser - to take care of you. But you don't have to decide anything for another few weeks." 

"Will I get to see Doctor Fraiser while you're still at home with me?" 

"I think we can arrange that. And you'll get to meet her daughter Cassie." 

Danny nodded. "The girl you brought back from Hanka." 

Sam's eyes widened. "You really did hear all our mission reports, didn't you?" 

"Yes," Danny whispered, suddenly unsure of Sam's response. 

"Hey," Sam said softly, reaching out to rub the boy's arm. "I'm not mad you heard the reports. I have to admit I'm a bit surprised you remembered that little detail, but I'm not mad." She gave the tiny arm one last squeeze and brought her hand back. "That does bring up something else we have to talk about - what you can say outside the house and the mountain." 

Danny looked her straight in the eye. "The SGC and the Stargate are classified. Strangers aren't allowed to know about them. Don't say anything to anybody unless they can prove they already know." 

Sam gasped at the rote repetition of something that was obviously pounded into the children's heads. "Um, yes. Yes, that's right. I, uh, guess we don't have to have that talk after all. But you might want to remember that everybody outside the program thinks Cassie's from Toronto." 

Danny smiled. "Okay." 

She didn't know how she did it, but she managed to return the smile. "Do you have any other questions?" 

"What are we going to do for the rest of the day today?" 

"Good question." She walked over to the back door and looked outside. She frowned. "Well, since the weather has decided not to cooperate," her expression deepened into a scowl for a moment at the mixture of sleet and snow that was coming down from the sky, "I guess we'll have to do something in here." 

Sam led the two of them into the computer room where she had Danny show her how much he knew about the machine. Then they went online and started searching for language programs the boy could use in the future, as well as for children's bedroom furniture. Then they played some games, Danny fascinated by the bright colors and seeming lack of educational value. But he grinned all the same, and every smile lightened Sam's heart all the more. Sabrina had been right; giving this child a normal life wouldn't be an impossible task at all.

* * *

Sam wasn't sure at first what had awoken her that night. A quick glance at the clock on her bedside table told her it was after two in the morning, and she pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes. Then she heard it again, the sound that had pulled her from a deep sleep. Danny was screaming, a horrible, heart-wrenching sound. The woman was on her feet and heading for the other bedroom before she'd even finished registering the boy's distress. 

Sam fairly threw the door open, and once inside, she could see Danny thrashing around under the covers. He screamed once again, and she could see in the moonlight that came through the windows that tears flowed freely down his flushed cheeks. But he wasn't awake. Sam moved quickly over to the bed and scooped the child into her arms, murmuring gentle, soothing sounds into his ear. 

"Don't fight me; let me hold you," she whispered urgently when Danny started to struggle. "Let me show you I'm here, that it was all just a dream. Let me show you how much I care, and that you don't have to be alone anymore. Please, please, just let me hold you. I care about you so much." Sam was sobbing herself by the time she'd finished her plea. 

Danny could feel the sincerity as well as hear it, and started to cry into Sam's chest as she rocked him. One hand gripped the shirt of her pyjamas. "They all went away," he sobbed. "They all died and went away. They screamed and yelled, and there was blood, and funny smells, and I couldn't get the door open, and..." 

Sam held him tighter. "Shh, shh, that's all over now. I know it had to be so scary, but you're here now. You're here with me." 

"You won't go? You won't go away?" Danny asked, his tears starting to lessen. 

"Not if I can help it, Danny. Not if I can help it." Sam kissed the top of his head and continued to rock him, although slower than she had in the beginning. 

Danny sniffed a bit then pulled back slightly to look into Sam's face. "Why did you call me Danny?" he whispered, his expression confused. 

Sam stopped moving altogether, not having realized her mental nickname for her charge had slipped out. "I, uh, I guess it's because tonight I realized how much I care about you all over again." 

"But my name is Daniel." 

"I know. But you know Danny is short for Daniel, right?" Danny nodded. "Sometimes people use shortened names for people they really care about. My name is really Samantha, but my friends and family call me Sam. My dad even calls me Sammy once in a while." Sam sighed. "If you don't want me to call you Danny from now on, I won't." 

"You... you called me Danny because you care about me?" Danny asked thoughtfully. 

Sam nodded. "That's right." 

Danny licked his lips. "Then you can call me Danny." He let his head fall back onto Sam's chest and smiled when she gave him a brief squeeze in response. 

"Thank you," Sam whispered, her tears starting up again. She leaned her cheek against the top of Danny's mussed up blond locks. 

"Will other people call me Danny?" the boy asked quietly. 

"Sometimes. But it won't always be because they care. Some people do it just because they can or because they think it makes them sound more like a friend. You don't have to let everyone call you Danny if you don't want them to." 

Danny gave a firm nod. "I don't want everyone to call me Danny. Only if they care about me like you do." He snuggled slightly into her embrace. 

Sam smiled at the sign of affection and squeezed him yet again. They stayed like that for a long time, both of them finally falling asleep still holding each other.

* * *

About ten o'clock the next morning, the doorbell rang. Sam left Danny playing one of the internet games she'd introduced him to the day before and went to answer it. She was startled to see Teal'c standing there, a full grocery bag in the crook of one arm. "Teal'c!" she said in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you." 

"I thought young Daniel and yourself would appreciate company, as well as some food supplies to replace what you have consumed over the past week." The Jaffa gave her a small smile and slight inclination of his head. 

"I think you're right. Come on in." Sam moved out of the way and gestured for Teal'c to come inside. "Daniel's playing a game on the computer right now since the weather still isn't too pleasant," Sam told her friend once she'd shut the door behind him. "I'm hoping it'll improve soon so we can at least take a walk through the park down the street." 

"A walk sounds like a pleasant activity to share," Teal'c commented as the pair reached the kitchen. 

Sam nodded as she began to help Teal'c put away the groceries. "I thought it would be a good first experience with being outside." 

Once they were finished, they went to the computer room. "Look who's here, Danny. It's Teal'c." Sam smiled as Danny paused the game then looked over at the two teammates standing in the doorway. The boy gave the Jaffa a shy smile. 

"It is good to see you once again, young Daniel," Teal'c said with a bow of his head. Danny's smile grew. 

"It's about eleven o'clock," Sam announced, looking at her watch. "You can either keep playing your game or you can go to the kitchen table and draw. It's up to you." 

Danny considered it for a moment, then shut down his game followed by the computer. He gave Sam a warm smile and headed for the kitchen. 

Teal'c watched him go with a raised eyebrow. "Does Daniel not yet speak?" 

"Oh, he does when we're alone. I think he's still a bit shy when it comes to talking to anyone else." She gave the taller man a grin. "Although considering the smile he gave you, I don't think it'll be too long before he's comfortable talking to you, too." 

"I look forward to that day." 

Sam gave a short laugh. "So do I." She took a deep breath and released it, her smile fading. "Actually, you came at just the right time. I was planning on spending Danny's drawing time working out the cover story of how he came to be with me. I've been thinking about what we discussed back at the mountain, and I realized it just won't work. There are too many questions left unanswered." 

Teal'c considered it for a moment. "Your concerns are valid. I would be glad to assist you in developing a new explanation." 

Sam smiled once again. "Great. I'll grab a notebook and we can hash this out here in the computer room." 

"Do you have any ideas for where to begin?" Teal'c asked once Sam was ready. 

"Well, no one will buy I just suddenly decided to go out and adopt a child. There has to be a reason I've taken him in." She blew out a breath, setting her bangs aflutter. 

"Could you not have been named young Daniel's guardian in Doctor MacDonald's will?" Teal'c asked after a few minutes of thought. "I have heard of such things on various television programs." 

Sam blinked. "Why is it the simple answers are the hardest to come by?" She gave her teammate a wry smile. "I guess I'm too used to the complicated ones. Or I need to start watching more TV." 

The corners of Teal'c's mouth twitched upward. "Indeed." 

"So, how did I know Doctor MacDonald?" She got to her feet and began to pace, her pen taping the notebook every couple of steps. "I suppose he was a friend of mine at the mountain," she answered herself, stopping in her tracks. 

"That would be a logical assumption, and one that would explain the lack of introduction to your brother and neighbors," Teal'c agreed. 

Sam nodded, writing it down. "What he did there would be classified, of course, so I wouldn't have to explain that," she muttered. "At least nothing beyond that he was a civilian scientist. I don't think anyone would want to know much more than that anyway." 

Teal'c thought for a moment. "How will Doctor MacDonald have died in this explanation? How did young Daniel's mother die?" 

Sam cringed, drawing in a sharp breath. "Oh, I hadn't thought that far yet. It's a bit gruesome, isn't it?" 

"Yet it is necessary." 

"Yeah, I know." Sam sighed. "I think I can only kill off one parent at a time. His mother died shortly after he was born, and Doctor MacDonald died in an accident on base a short while ago." She shook her head. "I hate this." 

"I agree that it is not pleasant. But you must consider what questions you will be asked about young Daniel's past and heritage, and be prepared to answer them." 

Sam frowned. "Right, I know, I know." She shook her head to clear it. "Okay, Doctor MacDonald didn't have many friends, and so asked me to be Daniel's guardian in case something happened. Since he worked on base we never expected it would become an issue. But the accident happened, and I couldn't go back on my word. And so, Daniel came to live with me." She bit her lower lip for a moment. "What do you think?" 

Teal'c gave a small nod. "I believe this to be acceptable. It is not too far from the truth. Is it not said that the greatest lies are those that are based on truth?" 

Sam blinked. "Yeah, it is." She thought of the way Doctor MacDonald got SG-1 all the information he could about the cloning experiment and what Teal'c and the colonel had told her about the geneticist's last moments. "And I guess it's not far from the truth after all." 

The Jaffa gave her a few minutes to regain her composure, then the two of them worked out the rest of the small details. Teal'c joined Sam and Danny for lunch on the physicist's invitation, all three of them enjoying the time together. Danny was then happy to have Teal'c sit with him while Sam read them more fairy tales from the thick book she'd bought almost two weeks previously. The woman couldn't help but smile inwardly when she saw her friend enjoying the stories as much as the child next to him. Soon after Danny laid down for his nap, Teal'c took his leave, promising to visit again soon. 

Sam took some time after Danny woke up to explain to him the cover story she and Teal'c had come up with, becoming a bit disturbed at how easily the boy accepted the necessity of the tale. They spent the rest of the afternoon playing a game of "I, Spy", Sam using the exchange to roughly gauge his level of understanding of the common items he was likely to encounter on a regular basis, as well as things like colors and shapes. After supper was quiet reading time, then the usual bedtime rituals. As Sam slipped under her covers, having sat beside Danny until he fell asleep, she reflected on the day, happily declaring it to have been good. Her last wish before she joined her ward in blissful slumber was that as many future days as possible would be just as good.

* * *

Jonas stopped by the next day, nervously asking if it was all right if he visited. "Of course it is," Sam replied, ushering him into the house. "Daniel will be glad to see you." 

"He will?" Jonas asked, blinking as Sam led him into the living room. 

"He enjoyed your company at the mountain; he'll enjoy it here. Looks like we have ourselves another visitor, Danny," Sam called to the boy at the table in the far corner between the kitchen and the back door. Danny looked up from the art supplies he had just organized to his satisfaction and smiled shyly at the sight of another member of SG-1. "Told you," Sam whispered into Jonas' ear. 

Jonas grinned at his reception. "It's good to see you, Daniel. It looks like you're really enjoying things here with Sam." Danny's smile grew, and he gave a short nod. 

Sam looked from visitor to ward and back then gave Jonas a gentle push toward the couch. "Go ahead and draw, Danny. Jonas and I are going to talk on the couch." She gave the Kelownan an inquisitive glance. "Unless you'd like to join him?" 

Jonas shook his head. "No, that's all right. I wouldn't want to distract him. That and there's a few things about work I need to talk to you about." 

"All right." Sam's expression turned serious and she sat down on the couch, shortly followed by Jonas and both of them missing the worried look the young boy gave them before returning to his own work. 

"I've gone back to working on the tablet we found in the secret room on Abydos," Jonas began. "This isn't going to be easy; the language is one of the older dialects of Ancient. Combined with the missing pieces, I'm looking at quite a project." He shook his head dismissively. "But I don't think you can really help me with that." 

"Probably not," Sam agreed. 

Jonas' gaze met hers. "We've been getting more and more reports from our allies that Anubis is getting progressively more powerful. The System Lords are getting nervous. That super weapon has totally unbalanced the scales of power out there. When General Hammond found out I was intending to come visit you today, he asked me to pass along the message that he'd like you to see what you can do to help come up with a plan to at least take out that weapon. He didn't want to intrude on your leave, but..." 

Sam held up a hand to stop him. "No, this is important." She considered it. "I'll need you to do something for me. I need as much information about the six Eyes of Power as you can get your hands on. See what the Jaffa and the Tok'ra know. Maybe there's something in the way they generate their energy fields that can help us come up with a way to shut them down." 

"But what about getting onto Anubis' ship? The Tok'ra haven't been able to manage that yet, and no one can get into the important computer systems either because they're all encrypted in one of the oldest Ancient dialects." Jonas sighed. "We're going to need to pull off something close to a miracle, aren't we?" 

"But those are our specialties," Sam said with a shaky smile, glancing over at the kitchen table. Danny wasn't facing them, but she knew he was listening to every word. "You've read our mission reports." 

Jonas also looked over at the boy. "I guess you're right. I'll make sure to get that information for you as fast as I can." 

Sam nodded. "Thanks. Now tell me what else is going on with you. Have you gotten up the guts to ask Lieutenant Rush out on a date yet?" She grinned wickedly. 

"Uh, well..." Jonas stuttered, a blush starting to creep over his face. 

The two friends talked until lunch, then spent time telling Danny about some of the people they met through the Stargate. Jonas left just before Danny laid down for his afternoon nap, assuring the boy he'd be back soon and being reassured in return by the smile his promise produced. Sam gave him a hug just before he walked out the door then said goodbye. 

Sam returned to an anxious expression in Danny's bedroom. "Can you stop Anubis?" Danny asked. 

Sam sat on the bed next to him and met his worried gaze. "I can't promise that, Danny. But I can promise that we'll do everything in our power to try. That's why I'm going to look at what those crystals are made of. I'm hoping that will give me an idea." 

Danny swallowed hard and nodded. "I hope so, too," he whispered. "And I think it will." 

Sam just smiled and leaned over to kiss him softly on the forehead. "That's another way for me to show how much I care," she explained when she saw his confused look upon straightening. His confusion cleared and he smiled. "I'll see you when you wake up. Sweet dreams." Danny closed his eyes and drifted off, his expression never fading. 

Sam wandered back into the living room and glanced over at the table where Daniel had been working. The picture he'd been drawing had been carefully put aside unfinished at lunchtime, but she hadn't really looked at it when she'd moved it. Curiosity made her walk over and pick up the piece of artwork, and her eyes widened when she realized what she was looking at. There was a dark humanoid figure on the right side of the paper leaning back toward the near edge. On the left was the start of a four-person group facing off against the other figure. The one in the lead was the only one recognizable. She was slightly shorter than the other three, with short yellow hair, and her expression was stern as she held out something that looked like an Eye of Horus from Egyptian mythology. 

She slowly replaced the drawing and let her gaze drift off to nowhere, her thoughts drifting off as well. It looked like she and the rest of SG-1 would indeed be facing off against Anubis sometime very soon. She only hoped they could live up to Danny's obvious confidence in them.

* * *

The rest of the week passed quickly. While Earth's allies hadn't responded to the SGC's request for information about the six Eyes of Power, Sam had worked on what information Daniel had put together about the Eye of Tiamat with supplemental information from Jonas. She had been surprised by what Daniel had managed to get from the Russians, but then the archaeologist had forged a unique connection with Colonel Chekhov. It was quite possible the Russian officer had facilitated Daniel's research. 

Sabrina came by just after lunch and spent some time with Danny while he played on the computer. After Sam put him down for his nap, the two women made themselves comfortable on the living room couch. "So how has the week gone?" the psychologist asked. 

"It's been interesting. We went over the rules like you suggested the afternoon after you left, and that night he had his first nightmare." Sam gave the other woman a small smile. "He let me hold him. He actually let me comfort him physically." She gave a short laugh and shook her head. "I also slipped and called him Danny." 

"How did he take it?" 

"He wanted to know why I'd done it, then when I'd explained it was because I cared he said I could keep using it. But he's decided that only people who really care about him can call him Danny." 

Sabrina grinned. "That's excellent, Sam. He's truly beginning to understand what it means to care about another human being, and he wants that for himself." 

Sam smiled, but it faded after a moment. "He's been having nightmares almost every night this week, and during a few of his naps. Why now?" 

Sabrina thought about it. "You explained the rules, so he knows how things work around here, what's going to be expected from him. New people and experiences aren't being thrown at him every time he turns around. He's settling in, getting comfortable." She met the blonde's gaze. "He's relaxed, so his mind has taken the opportunity to start working through the trauma it's gone through. It's hard, but just be there for him. Things will settle down after a while." She frowned. "Keep me updated though. If it goes on too long, I'm going to need to know." 

Sam nodded. "Of course." 

"Has Daniel ever come to you after his nightmares? Has he ever been hurt and come to you for comfort?" 

"No. I've heard him either screaming or crying and gone to him. The couple of times he's hurt himself I noticed his reaction and... come to him." Sam's brows furrowed. "Does that mean something?" 

"Yes and no. He's still not completely comfortable with physical comfort, or he'd seek it. Considering his upbringing, I'm not surprised by this, mind you. He's further along in regards to this than I'd expected actually. You've really made a connection with him." Sabrina smiled. 

Sam sighed. "Am I expecting too much by being disappointed by the fact that Danny doesn't seek me out?" 

Sabrina shook her head. "Oh, I think you know better. You're just hoping for more, that's all. And that is completely natural. It'll come when it comes. Don't try to force it." 

"I won't." 

"Anything else of interest happen since the last time I was here?" 

"We had a few visitors. Teal'c came by on Saturday." Sam laughed. "I read those two fairy tales, and I think they were equally fascinated by them." 

Sabrina grinned. "I can just see that." 

Sam nodded. "I wish I would have had a camera. Then Jonas came by on Sunday. We talked about work for a while before lunch, then afterward told Danny about some of the people we've met through the gate. I had to reassure Danny that we were going to do our best to deal with Anubis, but it seemed to work. At least, he hasn't had any nightmares about anything like that. They've all had to do with the lab." 

Sabrina scratched at the back of her neck. "He's had it well-ingrained that he can trust SG-1 implicitly. Your reassurance that you would deal with Anubis is all he needs." 

"I guess I should take advantage of that while it lasts," Sam said wryly. Sabrina chuckled. "Well, Janet and Cassie came over a couple of days ago, on Wednesday night for supper. Danny knows that I'd like him to stay with Janet while I'm off-world, so we're trying to get him used to her while we don't have to worry about me going to the mountain." 

"How did he handle Cassie?" Sabrina asked curiously. 

"He was shy, and he stuck to my side like glue, but he didn't seem to withdraw like he did with new people at the mountain. He knows where she really came from, though, so I think he was curious about her." 

Sabrina considered it for a moment. "I can see that. I doubt he's ready to be alone with either one of them, but you've made a good start." 

Sam gave her a rueful look. "I'm not used to feeling this unsure about something. I feel like I need verification that what I'm doing on a day-to-day basis with Danny is the right way to go." 

"I think you're more looking for reassurance than guidance, at least for the more common things," the psychologist told her. "As for the touchier stuff... Well, those are the kinds of things I think we'd all need some help with, and help is all you're asking for. You've been handling everything very well. You're not putting decisions off until you can talk to someone, and you've picked a course of action and stuck to it. Danny feels secure here. He trusts you even beyond the rest of SG-1. That's huge, and it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been confident in yourself." Sabrina smiled. "It may not feel this way, but you're actually dealing with this situation like you deal with other situations. You're working with the information you have on hand, getting more as it becomes available, and adjusting your plan of action as it becomes necessary. This just isn't a science problem, and the results aren't as obvious. The other thing to remember is that there's no one way to raise a child, not even a unique case like Daniel. Do it your way. We'll all help you in any way we can. And accept that you'll probably always question yourself, at least on one level or another." She shrugged. "Children are more flexible than a math equation. They bounce back from a supposed mistake or two." 

"I don't like the idea of making mistakes with Daniel." 

"Every parent makes mistakes," Sabrina said dismissively. "Like I've told you before, kids don't come with instruction manuals. Just do your best. Daniel will care about you no matter what." 

Sam took a deep breath and released it. "I'm doing okay, aren't I?" she asked quietly with a tone of realization. 

Sabrina smiled gently. "You bet you are. Daniel's amazing progress is proof positive of that." 

Sam swallowed and returned the expression. "This is going to be hard." 

"But the reward will be more than worth it." 

The two women shared a knowing look. Sabrina then reached out and gave Sam's arm a reassuring squeeze, silently promising her continued support. Sam accepted it just as silently with a smile. 

"So, what about Colonel O'Neill?" Sabrina finally asked. 

"He called a couple times over the week, the first time to give me a hard time about not asking for his help with the cover story to explain why I'd taken Danny in. Teal'c helped me with that when he was here." Sam shook her head with an amused expression. 

Sabrina wore a similar one. "So what did you and Teal'c come up with?" she asked. 

Sam explained the story she and her friend had created. "Everything's in place to back it up legally. General Hammond took care of it after I talked to him yesterday," Sam concluded. 

The black-haired woman nodded. "It sounds good. So Colonel O'Neill hasn't stopped by in person then?" 

"No, but I'm not surprised. He's trying to get over the feeling that Danny is here to take the place of Daniel Jackson. I can't push him." 

"No, you shouldn't. That's what I was afraid was going to happen, but he's doing well enough. He'll deal with it eventually, and in the meantime he'll be as good a friend to you as he can. You and the rest of SG-1 mean too much to him to do otherwise." 

"I know. I'll take what he can give." 

Sabrina thought for a moment. "You said you made your cover story mainly to explain Daniel to your brother Mark. Tell me about him, about your family." 

Sam proceeded to do so, explaining Mark and Jacob and the relationships they shared. Sabrina added tales of her own family when the Air Force major reached uncomfortable parts of her story. The two of them got to know each other a little better during the exchange, which ended a little while before Danny was to wake up. The psychologist left with positive words and another admonishment to call her anytime if Sam needed her. Sam was sorry to see her go, but looked forward to the next week's visit.


	7. Chapter 7

Jonas and Teal'c both stopped by again over the weekend, the Kelownan with a limited amount of information they'd received from the Tok'ra. He told her that more would be coming in a couple of days, but what they had should be a good start. Sam agreed. She spent her free time poring over the information.

The weather had improved over that time, so Sam took Daniel on a nightly walk down the street and around the park. Danny would pause from time to time to watch the other children at play, but showed no inclination toward wanting to join them. Sam noticed that the grip on her leg as they passed by occupied benches hadn't begun to loosen, but she was confident that it would with some more time.

Based on the good interaction Sam saw between Danny and his various visitors, she decided to take things another step forward. On Wednesday afternoon she organized a small get-together, inviting Teal'c, Jonas, Janet, and Cassie to join her and Danny for a couple of hours before and after supper. Janet came over that morning to help put things together, saying Cassie would be coming over right after school.

"Is it just me, or does Cassie seem excited about spending time with Danny?" Sam asked as she cut up the fruit for a fruit salad. Danny was in the computer room doing lessons from the language software Sam had ordered the week before.

"It's not just you," Janet confirmed. She paused for a moment to give one last stir to the chocolate chip cookie dough batter she was preparing. "I haven't been able to figure it out, but she's chomping at the bit to take care of him. When I told her about your invitation for this afternoon, she about did a backflip." The auburn-haired woman chuckled and shook her head. "There are so many things about her I don't understand."

"I'm beginning to think that's just a price of parenthood," Sam murmured, her glance traveling briefly to the computer room. Janet gave her friend a gentle smile.

"Yeah, it is. I really am glad you're getting a chance to experience it first hand."

Sam returned the expression. "Me too," she said quietly.

They worked in silence for a few minutes. "So how have things gone with Sabrina?" Janet finally asked, spacing out the small balls of dough on a cookie sheet.

"She's been great," Sam enthused, pulling out a large plastic bowl for the cubed fruit sitting in piles on the cutting board. "I think Danny's really starting to trust her, and I can't say enough about how she's helped me." She put the multi-colored cubes into the bowl and stirred them together.

"That's good to hear. I thought she'd be a good fit for this." Janet double-checked the oven to make sure it was ready then slipped the full cookie sheet inside and set the timer.

Sam paused as the oven door shut behind her. "Yeah," she whispered thoughtfully. She considered something for a moment then grabbed the cordless phone from its charger on the island counter. "Sabrina?" she said a few beats after she dialed the right number. "Hi, it's Sam. No, there's no emergency. I've invited a few of my friends over this afternoon to try and help Danny get accustomed to those kinds of things, and I was wondering if you'd like to join us." She laughed. "Of course I'm serious. You've been more than just a psychologist during this whole thing; you've been a friend. And my friends are invited." She smiled at the other woman's response. "I'm sure. We'll see you at four then. Bye."

Janet's eyebrows were raised when Sam turned around after replacing the handset. "I guess you _have_ been getting along with Sabrina."

"I'm just sorry I didn't think of it earlier." Sam shrugged.

"What about the colonel?"

"He... declined the invitation," Sam said softly, her eyes dropping.

The petite doctor reached out to give her friend's right arm a comforting squeeze. "He'll come around, Sam. Once he gets his feelings sorted out..."

Sam nodded, her left hand reaching over to cover the other woman's fingers. "He and Daniel were very close. And I think he feels guilty about how their friendship had been falling apart before... the accident." She swallowed the usual lump that rose at the thought of her lost friend. "I'm dealing with my own guilt issues on that one. But I know the colonel will come around. He's trying. And he's started calling nearly every day to find out how we're doing, or if I need anything. He'll make it."

Janet smiled. "Yes, he will. Jack O'Neill is nothing if not devoted to the people he's chosen to get close to."

Sam couldn't help but give a small grin. "I think most people who've messed with us would whole-heartedly agree with that."

Both women laughed and returned to their food preparation.

* * *

 Jonas and Teal'c had arrived by the time Cassie was dropped off by a friend of hers at the end of the school day. She threw the door open and cried out, "Hey, everyone! I'm here!" She barely remembered to close the door behind her before dashing further into the house.

"Cassandra Fraiser, would you calm down," Janet admonished the teenager when she tripped into the living room where everyone had gathered.

"Sorry, Mom," Cassie replied, her smile still bright. It widened when she saw Danny sitting in the middle of the floor between the coffee table and the fireplace across from it. She set her backpack down beside the sofa and sat cross-legged in front of the boy. "How are you doing, Daniel?" she asked gently. Danny looked up from the blocks he'd been playing with and glanced at Sam before giving the girl a shy smile. Cassie looked thrilled as the boy returned to his project.

"Are we expecting anyone else?" Jonas asked, looking over at the dining room table and noticing an extra setting beyond the normal six that he'd been expecting.

Sam nodded. "I invited Sabrina Marconi to join us, actually. She should be here any time now."

Cassie looked over, surprised. "You invited Danny's psychologist? Isn't that a bit on the weird side?"

"Cassie," Janet hissed, watching Danny for his response.

Sam smiled. "A bit. But she's been a good friend to both of us, and I thought it would be nice to just spend some social time with her instead of everything having to be so... clinical all the time. She's a great lady."

Janet gave her adopted daughter one last glare and turned a smile to her friend. "I noticed that the two or three times I've worked with her at the Academy hospital. That's one of the reasons I picked her to call in."

The doorbell rang at that point, and a few moments later Sam was escorting Sabrina Marconi into the living room to join the others. "I think the only person here you haven't met is Cassandra Fraiser, Janet's daughter," Sam said, gesturing to the teenager who sat watching Danny continue to build a pyramid with the wooden blocks.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cassandra," Sabrina said with a smile, amused by the display.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Cassie returned, giving the psychologist a glance over her shoulder.

"Cassie, where are your manners?" Janet said with a sigh.

Sabrina dismissed the auburn-haired woman's concern with a grin and a wave. "She replied to my greeting; don't worry about it. What have I missed?"

The adults continued their casual conversation, with Cassie chiming in every now and again, for the next two hours. Danny built a number of structures with his blocks, politely waiting to be noticed when each was finished; Cassie cut down those waits by announcing the end of the projects. No one noticed the shock on Danny's face when she'd interrupt whoever was speaking.

Dinner went smoothly, then Danny helped Sam take everything into the kitchen and load the dishwasher. The living room discussion resumed for about another hour and a half when they were done, this time with Danny drawing in his pad of paper on the coffee table. Janet dragged Cassie off when she finally got her daughter to admit she had homework, and Sabrina soon followed, profusely thanking Sam for the invitation.

Sam moved Danny to the kitchen table once it was only them and her teammates left, rejoining them once the boy was settled. "I take it there's a reason you guys stayed," she commented as she sat down on the couch next to Jonas.

"I wanted to see if you'd come up with anything on the information the Tok'ra sent along, and Teal'c has a message from the rebel Jaffa," Jonas said.

"A message?" Sam asked the Jaffa sitting in the chair to the left of the couch.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied with a nod of his head. "Rak'nor contacted me earlier today with information gathered from the Jaffa located at the Alpha Site." He handed her a manilla folder. "I recorded it for ease of use when I am not here to assist you."

Sam opened the folder and paged through its contents. "That's great, Teal'c. Thanks."

Jonas looked around the room. "So where's the folder I gave you before? Have you come up with anything?"

"I think I'm starting to get a handle on how the Eyes work, at least theoretically," Sam said, laying Teal'c's folder down and rising to her feet. "Let me get my notes from the computer room and we can go over them. Maybe you guys will see something I've missed."

"What have you discovered?" Teal'c asked once Sam had returned.

Jonas angled his body so he was more or less facing her when she sat down. "Will it help stop Anubis' super weapon?"

Sam took a deep breath and consulted her notes. She gave them an overview of her theory on how the Eyes of Power functioned, then picked up Teal'c's folder and skimmed over what was there. "The recollections of the Jaffa seem to support the theory," she said finally, looking up at her teammates. "They need to be part of a circuit, and when placed in series the power produced is increased exponentially."

Jonas frowned at her. "That sounds like a battery."

"Along the lines of a solar cell considering the crystalline structure, but there are some major differences that I can't be sure of until I'm able to examine an Eye directly. I'm guessing naquadah is involved somehow, but it's only a guess." Sam sighed and let her eyes drop back to the papers she held.

"How will this assist us in eliminating the threat of Anubis' weapon?" Teal'c asked.

"I...I'm not really sure," Sam admitted.

There was a long pause as each member of SG-1 considered the situation. Sam was so caught up in her thoughts that she jumped when a small hand touched her knee. She looked away from Teal'c's notes to meet Danny's bright blue gaze. "They're like batteries?" the boy asked in a nervous whisper.

Sam blinked, sparing a quick glance for her shocked teammates. "Um, yes actually. At least sort of." She bit her lower lip as she tried to think of a way to describe the differences to a three year old.

Danny licked his lips. "Then why don't you take one out of the weapon? Then it won't work, just like your cell phone."

"Your cell phone?" Jonas parroted. Beyond him, Teal'c had raised an eyebrow in question.

"Earlier this week I found out I needed to change the battery on my cell phone, so I tried to explain what was wrong to Danny," Sam explained. She turned her attention back to the child. "Now Danny..." she began before trailing off, her gaze becoming suddenly distant.

Jonas leaned forward. "Sam? What is it? Are you okay?"

Danny squeezed her knee in response to the worry he heard in the Kelownan's voice. "Sam?" he breathed, thoroughly frightened.

Sam shook her head and came back to the present, a smile beginning to blossom across her features. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she reassured the others as she ran a gentle hand over Danny's soft blond locks. "I was just thinking. And I think you just gave me an idea, Danny. Are you finished with your drawing?"

He shook his head, his shoulders relaxing somewhat. "No, but there's not much left."

"Then why don't you go ahead and finish it, and then we'll get you ready for bed." Sam turned her head to look at the two aliens. "Can you guys stay a while longer? I'd like to bounce some ideas off you and maybe get the beginnings of a plan going."

Both of them agreed to stay. Sam and Danny went through their usual bedtime routine, and the woman emerged from the boy's bedroom when he had fallen asleep. Then the three teammates talked until after midnight, each of them leaving the discussion with a sense of hope they hadn't had for a long time.

* * *

 Two days later, as Danny napped, Sam and Sabrina had their weekly talk. As it reached its conclusion and things had turned toward a more casual tone, the doorbell rang, startling both women. "Who in the world is that?" Sam asked, rising to her feet and starting for the door.

Sabrina followed. "I was just going to ask you the exact same thing," the psychologist murmured.

A total surprise waited for Sam behind the front door. "Hey there, Sam," Jacob Carter said with a large smile.

"Dad!" the blonde woman exclaimed, a grin breaking out across her face as he pulled her into a tight embrace. "What are you doing here?"

"I've got that information you were asking about," Jacob replied once they'd pulled back to arm's length.

"That's great," Sam replied as she ushered him inside and closed the door behind him. She noticed the deliberate look he gave Sabrina who waited just beyond the front hall. "Dad, this is Doctor Sabrina Marconi. Sabrina, this is my father, Jacob Carter. She has clearance, Dad."

Jacob relaxed, offering the woman his hand. "So are you the latest addition to Sam's department?"

"No, not really," Sabrina said in return as she accepted the handshake. "I'm a psychologist. I was brought in for a special assignment."

Jacob's brows furrowed. "Special assignment?" He looked at his daughter.

Sam nodded. "We've had an interesting few weeks," she said wryly.

"And I will say my goodbyes before you start the explanation," Sabrina said with a smile. "I'll be by again next week, of course, and there's always my standing offer if you need me before that."

"I know. Thanks, Sabrina." Sam smiled. "I'll see you then."

"It was nice to meet you, sir," the black-haired woman said to Jacob once she'd reached the door. Her eyes twinkled merrily. "Both of you." With a wave, she was gone.

Jacob looked at Sam with a raised eyebrow once they were alone and headed for the living room. "I guess she does have clearance," he commented.

Sam shrugged. "She needed it."

"Would this special assignment Doctor Marconi mentioned have anything to do with the fact that George told me you were on leave for another three weeks? Are you recovering from an injury nobody told me about?"

"No, of course not!" Sam said hurriedly in reaction to the worried look Jacob gave her. "I promise there's nothing wrong with me."

"But you have a psychologist visiting you at home," the elder Carter pointed out.

Sam sighed. "She's not really here for me, not exactly anyway."

Both of Jacob's eyebrows shot up. "So what's going on, Sam? George told me it was something you needed to tell me yourself, and Jack had the rest of SG-1 avoid me like the plague while I was at the base." He frowned. "I could have sworn I saw him smirking the couple of times I caught sight of him in the halls."

"Well... Dad..." The blonde woman took a deep breath and released it, hoping it would relax her at least somewhat. It didn't work. "I've told you about all the problems the NID have caused us over the years, right?" she began.

"Yeah," her father said slowly, his eyes narrowing. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You'll see. Anyway, a little less than two months ago, after..." Sam's breath caught as she remembered what had happened the day before her latest NID adventure. _Oh, Daniel_... "Um, did General Hammond tell you about what happened on Abydos with Anubis?"

Jacob nodded. "He sent word to the Tok'ra a couple hours after you got back. I'm so sorry, Sam."

The physicist bowed her head and swallowed hard. "I know, Dad. I just wish I knew..." She took another deep breath and returned to her explanation. "Anyway, the day after, Colonel O'Neill got a call from a scientist that was working for the NID on a secret project in the mountains of northern Colorado. We went up there to clean it up. There was only one survivor."

The man blinked. "What does that..."

The question trailed off as a small figure entered the room blinking and rubbing sleep out of his eyes. Danny swallowed and froze when he caught sight of Sam's visitor. "You're awake!" Sam exclaimed when she saw him standing in the archway between the dining and living rooms. "Is everything okay?" He nodded as she hurried over and knelt down in front of him.

"Uh, Sam," Jacob began, his eyes widening dramatically, "is there something you wanted to tell me? Because I could have sworn there weren't any children living here the last time I was here." He suddenly sat up straight. "What's the man's name and where can I find him? You're getting support, I hope."

"Dad, no! It's not like that!" Sam cried, surprised by the angry tone. "This is the survivor I just mentioned. He's my ward."

Jacob shook his head slightly. "Your ward? Why do I get the feeling this story is a lot more involved and complicated than I thought?"

Sam shrugged. "Because it usually is."

Jacob sighed. "That's the truth." He looked more closely at the boy shyly half-hiding behind his daughter. "There's something familiar about him," he murmured thoughtfully.

"There's a reason I'll explain later. For now, I'd like to introduce my ward, Daniel MacDonald. Danny, this is my father, Jacob Carter." She gave the child a warm, comforting smile that seemed to take the edge off his nervousness.

"Is Selmak there with him?" Danny whispered into Sam's ear, his eyes never leaving the former Air Force general.

"Yes, but he doesn't normally talk when they're outside the mountain," Sam answered gently.

Jacob gestured to get her attention. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Danny knows about Selmak?"

Sam looked him in the eye. "The NID had some very specific goals. Danny and the other children were told everything about the program."

Jacob shook his head. "A lot more complicated." He stood and moved over to Sam and Danny, going down on one knee to look the boy in the eye. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Daniel. It's good to know someone's going to be around to keep my daughter in line when I can't be here to do it myself." He smiled.

Danny swallowed hard and shot a nervous look at Sam. He hesitated for a long moment then brought his head out completely from behind Sam's arm. He returned the smile with a tiny, shy one of his own.

"He doesn't really talk much," Sam explained. "Only to people he's comfortable and feels safe with."

"That's not a bad rule, Daniel," Jacob replied with a nod. He watched with interest as the boy's brows furrowed slightly and his head stuck out a little further, his eyes darting all over his face and upper body. "What's up, kiddo?" he finally asked.

Sam had also watched her ward's behavior. "I think he's trying to look for proof that Selmak's there, too," she guessed.

Jacob's head bowed briefly. "It is a pleasure for me to meet you as well, Daniel." The echoing timber signified it was Selmak speaking. "Unfortunately you will not find any physical evidence of my presence."

Danny straightened to his full height out of shock and stared at the blended Tau'ri with wide blue eyes. "There really _are_ two of you here," the boy whispered, his words barely audible.

"That is correct," Selmak agreed, smiling softly.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked Danny, a little worried at the shallow breaths he was taking as he stared at her father. His only response was to grip the sleeve of her sweater with his left hand, out of sight of their visitor.

The older of the two adults stood, his expression faltering. "We can come back later," Jacob's clear voice said softly, his brown eyes reflecting the concern he and his symbiote were feeling over possibly scaring Danny.

Sam looked at him and shook her head. "No, that's okay. We really should talk about the information you brought me." She turned her attention back to Danny. "How about you work on your language lessons while I talk to my dad? Will that be all right?" Sam asked gently, rubbing his arm softly. Danny took a deep breath, and with one last look at Jacob, nodded. "I'll be right back," Sam said to her father before leading her ward into the computer room.

When she returned she joined Jacob on the couch. "Where was I in that explanation?" she asked.

"Why don't we start with the reason that boy looks so familiar?" Jacob suggested.

"It has to do with the experiment the NID was running." Sam looked around to make sure Danny was still in the computer room. "They'd collected a number of genetic samples from key SGC personnel, mostly SG team members. They cloned them, Dad. There had been twenty clones at the laboratory. When we got there only Danny was left."

Jacob blinked. "Clones? The NID was cloning SGC personnel? What for?"

Sam raised her eyebrows. "Why do you think?"

"I can think a few reasons, and none of them good." The Tok'ra considered it for a moment. "Danny's a clone of Daniel Jackson, isn't he? That's why he looks so familiar."

"Yes, he is," Sam whispered.

Jacob shook his head, his expression confused. "Why are you taking care of him? Wasn't there another family with proper clearance that could have taken him in?"

Sam bit her lower lip. "We found out that Danny would only trust the members of SG-1 because of the traumatic things that happened there. Sabrina was brought in to figure out what would be best for him, and she decided that one of us had to take him in for him to have any chance at a normal life. I agreed to become his guardian." She stared at her father, waiting to see his reaction to her declaration.

He considered it for a long, silent moment. "I take it he's been here for a while already." He waited for Sam's nod of confirmation before continuing. "He obviously trusts you, and if things were as bad for him as you say, that means a lot." He looked her straight in the eyes. "I've always thought you'd make a wonderful mother, Sam, and I'm glad you're getting the opportunity. Will you still be a member of SG-1?"

"Yes," Sam answered, smiling in relief. "Sabrina says it would be traumatic for Danny if I left the team, since he was raised hearing our mission reports like other kids are told fairy tales. The Stargate Program was the kids' whole world; changing the status quo would be bad for his sense of security."

"I can see that," Jacob conceded. "And you're okay with all of this?"

Sam nodded. "It's a challenge, that's for sure. But when I see him smile..." She gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "It makes it all worthwhile to know I'm giving him his chance at a normal childhood, or as normal a childhood as possible considering his background."

Jacob smiled softly. "You love him already, don't you?"

The woman swallowed down a sudden surge of emotions. "With all my heart," she admitted in a choked voice.

Her father pulled her into a tight embrace. "Then everything's going to be just fine," he murmured into her hair.

"Um, you said you had some information for me that I asked for," Sam said once she'd recovered her composure and straightened in her seat.

"That's right. George asked for me to bring it since I'd be able to leave the base." He pulled a folder out of the bag he brought with him and set next to the couch when he sat down. "I made a hard copy for you to use while you're at home. The original data disk is still at the mountain, waiting for you in your lab." He handed it over.

Sam opened the folder and glanced over the contents. "Have your operatives in Anubis' ranks been able to get in any further?" she asked as she read.

Jacob sighed. "Not yet. One of them thinks she might have a solution to that after hearing about your request for information about the Eyes of Power, but we haven't gotten word about her success or failure."

Sam gave a slow nod of the head as she carefully looked over a diagram. "If this means what I think it means, I just might have an idea to shut down Anubis' super weapon." She looked up from the paper and grinned. "Wanna help me hammer it out?"

Jacob returned the expression. "What are fathers for?" he quipped.

* * *

Sam and Jacob took a short break a couple of hours later to call out for pizza, and Sam took advantage of it to talk to Danny in the computer room. The boy hadn't come out at all during the time she and her father had been fleshing out the idea she'd had regarding the Eyes of Power. "Danny?" she said gently from the computer room doorway.

Danny looked over from the monitor and smiled. "Is it time for dinner?" he asked quietly.

"Not quite yet. I just ordered pizza for the three of us." Sam watched her ward's reaction carefully.

"Oh." Danny's shoulders slumped. "Are Jacob and Selmak still here?"

"Yes. We're not finished with our talk yet." Sam stepped fully into the room and knelt down next to the child's desk chair. "Why does that bother you?"

Danny shook his head. "It doesn't bother me," he said quickly.

Sam smiled. "Maybe not, but you were pretty scared earlier. Why?"

Danny took a deep breath and released it, his head dropping and turning back toward the monitor. "Selmak is inside Jacob. He takes over."

"When they both agree he should, yes," Sam replied, frowning.

"They agree?" Danny asked, confused, as he snapped his head back toward Sam.

She nodded. "Yes, they do. Selmak is one of the Tok'ra. He and my dad share his body. They don't make each other do things they don't want to do." Her smile returned. "They're a team."

Danny chewed on his lower lip. "But what about the Goa'uld?"

Sam blinked. "What were you told about the Goa'uld and the Tok'ra?"

"They're both parasites that go inside humans and take them over. The Tok'ra sometimes work with us, and the Goa'uld want to kill us." Danny swallowed and looked Sam in the eye. "They told us not to trust any of them."

"Oh, Danny," Sam said with a sigh. "The Tok'ra fight against the Goa'uld just like we do. That's why we've agreed to try to work together with them. And they don't take over their hosts, not usually. They blend with their hosts and share everything with them. Sometimes the host will talk, and sometimes the symbiote will. It all depends on what they both agree to do."

"So we can trust them?"

Sam looked into the bright blue gaze and saw that not all of its innocence had been destroyed by the NID. It made the truth that much harder to admit to. "We'd like to, but we can't always. My dad and Selmak have been pretty honest with us so we trust them, but there have been others that haven't told us the whole truth about what they really want when they ask for our help. We're careful with them, but they're still our allies."

Danny gazed at Sam for a long time, silently considering what he'd been told. Finally he nodded. "Okay," he said quietly.

"Sam," Jacob called from the dining room, "the pizza's here. Do you want me to take care of it?"

"No, I've got it," she called back over her shoulder. "Will you come join us?" she asked Danny as she stood.

The boy swallowed and nodded again. "I'll come," he whispered.

Sam smiled. "You'll like my dad, you really will. And I'll be beside you the whole time. Now come help me carry in our supper."

Danny hopped off the desk chair and followed his guardian. Supper went smoothly after that, the boy relaxing as he heard the two adults continue to bounce ideas back and forth on how to stop Anubis and his super weapon. If Jacob and Selmak were going to help with that, they must be all right. He smiled down at his plate.

When the meal was finished, Sam quickly took care of the remains before she and her father returned to the living room couch to where they'd left their notes. Danny was set up with his drawing materials at the kitchen table. He began a new sketch while the Eyes of Power discussion began anew.

Three and a half hours later - interrupted only by a half-hour break for Sam to put Danny to bed - the two Carters leaned back in their seats. They had something, something big, something that had a pretty good chance at success. Jacob looked at his daughter. "You realize that there are some big 'ifs' here," he cautioned her.

"Of course. But if those 'ifs' fall into place, we should be able to take out that weapon without any real danger to anyone." Sam couldn't help but smile at that statement.

"That's the best part of this plan," Jacob said, returning the expression. "So when do you want to start on the new crystal?"

Sam gazed off toward the bedroom where the child in her care lay sleeping. "As soon as possible." She sighed and looked back toward her father. "I guess my leave is going to have to be cut short. Anubis just won't wait."

Jacob's shoulders fell slightly, feeling a deep sympathy for his little girl. "No, he won't."

They both sighed. Jacob wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulders, pulling her in close. In return, Sam rested her head on the man's shoulder, accepting the comfort. Both of them couldn't help but think of the sacrifices that had to be made to protect the galaxy from the threats it faced.


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm sorry I had to cut our time together at home so short," Sam said to the boy sitting in his car seat in the back as they drove toward Cheyenne Mountain the next day.

"It's okay," Danny told her with a small smile she caught in the rear view mirror. "You have to stop Anubis."

"Yes, yes, we do," she murmured, glad for his understanding but sorry all the same. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Well, when we get to the mountain, you can either stay in a VIP room or stay with me in my lab. Which would you like to do?"

Danny swallowed nervously then chewed on his lower lip for a moment. "Will I be in the way in the lab?" he asked quietly.

Sam gave him a quick glance over her shoulder and saw the fear in his eyes. She had a feeling he didn't want to be alone, especially considering he'd woken up a little over an hour early that morning thanks to a bad nightmare. It had taken her quite a while to calm him down. "I think I can find a corner for you that will keep you out of my way. Why don't we do it that way?"

The blonde major watched the tiny smile form on her ward's lips. "Okay, Sam," he whispered.

The rest of the ride was quiet as Danny let his gaze turn to the window and the view to his right, and Sam chose not to interrupt the silent observation and reflection. The pair quickly made their way through the security checkpoints and down to level nineteen and Sam's lab, where Jacob was waiting for them.

"Hey, you two," he greeted them, covering up his surprise at the child's presence. "Sam, I asked the Counsel for the materials we'll need to make the replacement crystal, and they should be sending it along shortly. They're supporting this plan as much as they can."

"That's good news, Dad," Sam said with a smile. "Let me get Danny set up and we can go over the formulas we talked about last night."

Once Danny was seated at a computer terminal in the far corner with one of his language programs running, Sam and Jacob set up their notes on the main lab station with a large dry erase board against the wall. They reviewed the details they had come up with until an unscheduled gate activation was declared over the PA system. Danny smiled his blessing when Sam told him she had to leave for a little while, and the two Carters hurried off.

It turned out to be the Tok'ra, and a package and special news that was brought by a young woman named Sana. Sana and her symbiote Deval joined the team in Sam's lab, and work started in earnest. Three days later, they completed the red crystal and sent it over to the archaeology department for them to put the finishing touches on it according to Daniel and Jonas' notes. The Kelownan oversaw the process, glad to be able to do something concrete to help.

A day and a half later, Sam called a meeting to explain her plan. The Tok'ra stood behind the full room of Tau'ri to await the briefing as well. With a supportive smile and thumbs-up from Jacob, Sam took a deep breath and began. After she'd finished explaining the basic science behind everything, she moved on to core of the matter. "Thanks to the information the Tok'ra brought us, we now know that they have successfully inserted one of their operatives into Anubis' ranks on board the mother ship with the super weapon. We now have the means to secretly board the ship and make the switch between one of the Eyes of Power and the crystal my father, Sana, and I created in the lab."

"We're sure about that?" Jack asked from his seat in the front row.

"As sure as we can be, Jack," Jacob replied from the back. "Telane has been installed as one of Anubis' scientists working on the weapon. It was an angle we'd tried before and couldn't make work."

"So why did it work this time?" Jack asked.

Jacob smiled. "Sam's questions about what made the Eyes work. Telane used them to come up with a theory to increase the power output of the weapon. Anubis was interested. Since she'd need to be close to the Eyes to develop that theory, she was assigned to the flagship."

Jack turned back to look at Sam with an impressed expression. "Way to go, Major."

"What happens once we get to the flagship?" Jonas asked.

"We'll be smuggled aboard," Sam answered. "Colonel O'Neill, Jonas Quinn and myself will be injected with a radioactive isotope that will hide us from the ship's sensors for eight hours."

"But this mission shouldn't actually _take_ eight hours, right, Major?" Jack queried sardonically.

Sam sighed. "As the colonel is already aware, we _shouldn't_ need eight hours to complete this mission. Once we're on board, Teal'c will disguise himself as one of Anubis' Jaffa and relieve the two Jaffa standing guard outside the room where the Eyes of Power are hooked up as the power source of the super weapon. After he's alone, he'll alert the rest of us, and we'll join him."

Jack nodded. "Then we slip inside, make the crystal switch, and get the heck out of Dodge."

Sam sighed again. "As the colonel knows, it won't be that simple. The security system in place will force us to move quickly, with no room for mistakes. We'll have just less than ten minutes to find the appropriate Eye and replace it. The trickiest part will be removing the original and inserting the copy between the regular energy pulses that cycle through the circuit made up by the Eyes of Power. If we're even a fraction off, the security system will seal off the room, fill it with a gas powerful enough to knock out a Jaffa, and call in at least two squads of soldiers. There will be no escape from that trap."

"Still ever the optimist, eh, Carter?" Jack quietly quipped.

"Are we aware of the interval of time you will have available?" Teal'c asked.

Sam shook her head. "Not unless Telane has the information waiting for us when we get there."

Sana cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Telane has only recently been brought onto Anubis' new ship. While she has seen the power room, she has not been allowed to study it directly. She has been asked to first refine her theory using figures provided to her. She does not believe it will take much time to earn the trust required to gain entry to the Eyes of Power; however, she cannot be certain it will be before this mission will begin."

Jack nodded. "And this Telane will be sneaking us on board how?" he asked. He winked at Sam when she gave him yet another exasperated look.

"I don't believe that's been settled," the major answered, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes.

"It's been suggested that she minorly tamper with one of the ring platforms to make its activation look like a malfunction to the scans," Jacob added, taking pity on his daughter. "She'll know the timing of the patrols so she can slip you in without being detected."

"You're sure this fake crystal of yours is going to overload the weapon and destroy it?"Jack asked seriously.

Sam looked him straight in the eyes. "We can't be one hundred percent sure, sir, not without an actual Eye of Power to study. But from all the information we _do_ have, there is a high probability that this will be successful. At the very least we'll have cut down on the effectiveness of the weapon, or even shut it down completely."

General Hammond cleared his throat. "How do you figure that, Major?" he asked.

"It's like when one battery is dead in a device that needs multiple batteries," Sam explained. "It tends not to work. And in this particular case, the Eyes are set up in a circuit. If one is removed, the circuit isn't complete."

"Anubis didn't actually use the weapon until after he'd gotten the Eye of Ra," Jonas mused.

"Perhaps he was not able to do so, as Major Carter suggests," Teal'c added.

Sam nodded, smiling. "That's what we were thinking."

Jack wore a wider smile. "So basically, one way or the other, we're crippling this super weapon of his. I like it."

"Is there any chance that this explosion will take out the entire ship?" Jonas asked.

"There's a chance," Sam confirmed, "but we don't think it likely. Anubis would probably have that power room well-shielded, for multiple reasons."

"It looks like we have a plan, people," Hammond declared with a decisive nod of his head. "You all know what you have to do. Let's get to it." He turned and headed back to his office, most of the rest of the room clearing quickly afterward.

The members of SG-1 and Jacob Carter were soon the only ones left. "Could you have made it any more difficult for Sam?" Jacob asked Jack as he walked over to the team.

Jack shrugged. "I asked the questions other people had, but were afraid to ask," he explained. "And it didn't hurt me to have a few points covered twice."

"So you're okay with this plan?" Sam asked.

"The weakest part of it is counting on someone we've never met or even heard of to get us on and off that ship undetected," Jack said. He glanced at Jacob. "No offense."

"None taken," Jacob replied easily. "You're not doubting _me_." Jack grinned.

Jonas looked around at the people with him. "That shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

Jack shook his head, although his expression still held a touch of apprehension. "It _shouldn't_, but we're talking about the Tok'ra. Even Jacob here has to admit they don't have the best track record with us."

"This mission is just as important to the Tok'ra as it is to Stargate Command," Jacob insisted. "We'll do what we can to make it happen, successfully."

"Well, my only problem with that is that the Tok'ra are perfectly willing to sacrifice themselves, even when they don't really have to," Jack shot back.

Jacob held up his hands in surrender. "I know, I know. But nothing like that should be remotely necessary with this mission. You _know_ that."

Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I know," he grumbled.

There was a brief moment of silence. "Um, so we're set to go tomorrow?" Jonas asked a touch tentatively.

"Yes," Jacob confirmed. "Sana is sending a coded message to Telane a little later today to let her know you're coming."

"Then I have some final calculations to make and an explanation to give," Sam said with a small, shaky smile. The four men could see the fear and regret in her eyes.

"Everything will be okay, Sam," Jonas said gently, his expression sympathetic and supportive. "Daniel will understand."

"Young Daniel will be well cared for in your absence as well," Teal'c added.

Jacob gripped her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "It's always hard, kiddo," he said softly. "You make it up to him by coming home in one piece."

Sam gave him a grateful smile, then turned it on her teammates. "Thanks, guys," she murmured. "I better get going."

As Jack lagged behind the others while they all left the briefing room, he replayed the last bit of conversation to himself. His eyes widened slightly as a realization came to him. Quickly resolved he left the others to their duties and went to take care of something that had suddenly become quite important.

* * *

Early the next morning, Jack found himself in front of a nondescript door of a VIP room. He took a deep breath and released it slowly, centering himself. He could do this. He resettled his shoulders, the plastic bag that dangled from his left hand rustling slightly. With one last deep breath, he knocked and went inside.

Brown eyes met nervous and startled blue as Jack closed the door behind himself. He couldn't seem to find any words to say to the small boy scrambling to sit on the edge of the bed. Once the child had settled himself, Jack stepped forward, ignoring the anxious lump in his own throat.

"You know we're leaving in a little while to go on a mission," the colonel began awkwardly. The small head slowly nodded. "I'd guess you're going to be lonely while we're gone."

Jack wanted to smack himself in the forehead. He'd guess the kid would be lonely? Thank you, Colonel Obvious.

"I mean," he stumbled on, "you're probably really going to miss Carter, aren't you?"

While Jack plotted out his own demise for bringing up the negative part of this whole thing, something lingering and painful, he got another nod of agreement, this one slow and sad. The man felt his heart twist as the bright blue gaze dropped to the blanket beneath the tiny hand.

"I've seen how much Carter... I mean Sam..." Jack rolled his eyes at himself, took a deep breath, and tried again. "I've seen how much Sam cares about you, and I'm pretty sure you feel the same way. Does she hug you a lot?"

The blue gaze came back up at the gentle question, and after a bit of hesitation, the boy nodded.

Jack smiled. "I just bet she does. I also bet it makes you feel pretty good, doesn't it?"

The kid started to look pretty confused, but he nodded again.

"That's going to be one of the things you miss the most, I bet." Without waiting for a response, Jack pulled out the present he'd bought the day before from the plastic bag. It was a plush ape, about a foot high and bright yellow. It had extra long arms, with velcro on the mitten-like hands, and it looked like it was smiling. "I got this for you yesterday. Now, I know nothing can take Sam's place, but maybe this little guy can take the edge off until she gets back."

The boy just looked at him even more confused. Jack's smile grew soft. "Let me show you." He pulled apart the hands and wrapped the arms around the child's neck, placing the soft, plush face next to the youthful cheek. "Like I said, I know he can't take the place of Sam or her hugs, but whenever you feel lonely, you can just give this guy a squeeze and maybe - just maybe - it'll make you feel just a little bit less alone. And you know he won't let go until you want him to."

The big blue eyes looked up at him for a long, silent moment. Then Jack watched as the small arms slowly rose up and wrapped around the soft center of the stuffed animal. The boy squeezed slightly.

"That's right," Jack encouraged him. "Just like that."

The ape was given another squeeze, this time with the child's face slightly buried in the yellow joint between head and arm. The tiny form began rocking somewhat, and those blue eyes returned to Jack's face. The colonel was surprised by the beginning of a smile.

"You're welcome," Jack whispered, and turned to leave the room. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder just before he opened the door. "We won't be gone long," he said softly but confidently. "And when we get back, Anubis won't have his weapon anymore." He was rewarded by a widening of a smile. He gave as good as he got, then left the room. He headed for the locker room with a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

* * *

Sam walked into the gateroom and smiled at Jack, who stood at the foot of the ramp waiting for the rest of the party to arrive. "Thank you, sir," she said quietly, snapping the last buckle of her vest into place.

"For what?" Jack asked with mock ignorance, his expression slightly _too_ innocent.

"For Sunshine. Danny feels better about me going already. He didn't say as much, but he told me he had someone to hug him while I was gone." Sam smiled. "I think he told me that to make _me_ feel better about going."

"Sunshine?" Jack asked, confused.

Sam gave a little chuckle. "We named the ape you gave him. I asked him if the color reminded him of anything, and he said sunshine. So that's his name."

Jack gave her a surprised look. "He's talking? Freely?"

Sam shrugged, her expression a bit uncomfortable. "Well, I usually have to ask him a question, or otherwise start the conversation, but he's improving. We're getting pretty good at holding little conversations."

The rest of the team came in at that point, and shortly after that Jacob and Sana joined them. The six of them were gating to a planet where the Tok'ra High Counsel had a cargo ship waiting to take them to the planet Anubis' new flagship was orbiting. Fortunately the trip would only take about six hours, and then they would wait for the signal from Telane that all was ready.

"Is your team prepared, Colonel?" Hammond asked from the control room above them.

"Yes, sir," Jack replied.

"Then you have a go. Sergeant, begin the dialing sequence."

Seven and a half hours later, SG-1 and the two Tok'ra were hiding in an alcove near the ring platform close to the Stargate. "Are you certain you do not wish for me to begin injecting your team with the isotope, Colonel O'Neill?" Sana asked in a soft whisper.

Jack nodded sharply. "You aren't injecting anybody with anything until we get that signal from your operative. I want the maximum time possible from this stuff." He gave the blended woman a strained smile. "Just in case."

Sana sighed. "I understand, Colonel."

"You'll get used to him," Jacob murmured in his fellow Tok'ra's ear.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Jonas asked. "We've been here longer than you said we'd need to be before hearing something from Telane."

"We cannot be sure, of course," Sana replied, "but I do not believe our wait will last much longer."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "What makes you believe this?"

The female Tok'ra turned a slightly surprised look the Jaffa's way. "I know Telane well. She will do what she has sworn to do."

Fifteen minutes later, a gem in the bracelet Sana wore blinked for a brief time then stopped. "That is Telane's signal. It is safe for you to use the rings to enter the ship for the next ten minutes. I will inject you with the isotope now."

The blended woman did as promised for Jack, Sam, and Jonas while Teal'c attached the breastplate to the Jaffa armor he wore and donned the helmet of Anubis' troops that had been waiting for them in the alcove. When the four team members were ready, they stepped onto the platform and Jacob pressed the wrist control that had also been waiting with the helmet. The rings sprang up, and with a flash of light they were gone.

"Good luck, you guys," Jacob whispered to the empty space SG-1 had just occupied.

* * *

As promised, the halls between the ring room and their predetermined hiding place were empty of Anubis' Jaffa. The four of them silently slipped inside, the door sliding shut behind them. Jack pressed a button on the side of his watch and checked the time.

"Okay, we wait fifteen minutes," the Air Force colonel reviewed in a low tone. "Then Teal'c goes out and delivers the message that Telane wants to see the two guards and he's there to replace them. Once the two flunkies are out of sight, he clicks his radio twice, and the three of us join him. Then we'll slip into the power room and make the switch, then get back here. Teal'c will join us once the guards get back. Then we wait for Telane to give our storage room door three quick knocks, and we'll know it's safe to go back to the ring room and get the heck out of Dodge." He made eye contact with the other three in the low light. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Sam replied immediately, followed quickly by statements of assent from Jonas and Teal'c.

Just as had been hoped, the beginning of the plan went smoothly, and soon enough the four members of SG-1 were standing alone in front of the room where the Eyes of Power waited to charge Anubis' new weapon upon the half-ascended Goa'uld's command. With one last look down the hallway in both directions and a nod of thanks and acknowledgment to Teal'c, Jack silently led Sam and Jonas inside.

The three of them only managed a few steps along the short walkway leading from the door through a wall of circuitry before they were forced to stop in their tracks. A visible energy barrier ran through the middle of a walkway that seemed to follow the edge of the circular room; it appeared to be a band that covered an area approximately chin to mid-thigh. Jack gave Sam an irritated look. "I suppose I should have expected this," he grumbled in a harsh whisper.

"We couldn't have known, sir," she whispered back. "Telane wasn't able to get inside this room to warn us about it."

"You think it's safe to crawl underneath?" Jack asked.

Sam took a device out of the small pack attached to her vest and ran it down the barrier to the floor. She nodded. "The energy increase the forcefield gives off isn't present in the area near the floor. My guess is no one thought a saboteur could get in here slowly and deliberately make their way to the Eyes. Anyone in a rush would run right into the barrier and set off the security protocols."

Jonas looked at her curiously. "Are the Eyes powering the shield?" he asked.

Sam blinked. "It's possible, I suppose. I won't be able to tell until I can take a direct reading of them."

"Could the shield only cover part of the area to cut down on the energy used?"

"So that more could be immediately available when Anubis wants to fire the weapon," Jack concluded with a nod.

Sam's lips twitched into a small, brief smile as she put the device she'd used back in her pack. "That just might be it. Let's get in there and figure out the pulse rate so we can make the switch."

The trio slid along the floor, Sam and Jonas pushing the packs they'd brought along in front of them as they went. Once they were past the barrier they slowly made their way to their feet and glanced around at the brightly lit energy hub. The six Eyes of Power were placed equidistantly around the space, held in brackets amidst the metal, wires, and crystals that made up the walls. A blue-white bolt of energy emerged from a spot to their right and zoomed around the room through the Eyes in a counter-clockwise direction.

Sam brought out her detection device once again and Jonas took out the replacement crystal as they waited for the energy surge to come again. It wasn't long before it did, and Sam gave a small sigh of relief. "I have the timing down. We'll be able to make the switch after the next circuit."

"Wait a minute," Jack said as the other two prepared themselves. "What was that relieved sigh for?"

"Oh, um..." Sam began, a little surprised to be caught out. "I'd been a bit concerned about a secondary surge that would have drastically cut down the amount of time we'd have to make the switch. But I didn't detect one, so we're good to go."

"And you didn't mention this earlier why?"

"The odds were against it, sir."

Jonas cleared his throat nervously. "Are you sure about the Eye you want to switch out?" he asked, his eyes flitting toward his watch.

Sam nodded, knowing she probably hadn't heard the end of it from her commanding officer. "The Eye of Ra," she confirmed. "That _is_ the one you modeled the designs from, right?"

"On one side, yes. On the backside I had them etch the designs from the Eye of Tiamat, since we had an even more detailed sketch to work from. I figured we could make the switch with whichever one was easier to get to." Jonas began to look around for either of the Eyes he'd mentioned.

"There," Jack said, pointing to the Eye directly behind Sam.

The three of them stood in front of the Eye of Ra, memories of how it had come to be in Anubis' possession flying through each of their thoughts. They were all saddened, and Jack in particular felt an incredible amount of guilt. This is what it had all been about; this is what he had forced Daniel to break the rules of the Others over. This is why his best friend was now gone completely.

The bright flash of the surge zooming by startled them all. As soon as it had faded, Sam carefully extracted the Eye from the metal frame that was holding it, making sure to not let it touch anything other than the frame. It was a tight fit that slowed everything down. Once it was clear of the wall, she handed it off to Jack, who put it in her pack while Jonas handed her the replacement. Sam made sure the black stylized eye was facing outward, then reversed her previous actions to put it where the other had been.

The physicist hadn't quite gotten it in place when they could all feel the energy build-up that signified the beginning of another surge. "Come on, Carter, snap it into place and let's go!" Jack ordered tersely.

"I can't, sir. Any quick jerking motions like that will most likely set off the security protocols. I'm almost there." Sam's brows furrowed in intense concentration as she struggled to force the new crystal down the last few fractions of an inch.

"Does it have to be perfect?" Jack asked.

"If it's not, it may not complete the circuit, and that would tip Anubis off that someone had been in here tampering with the Eyes. That's not to mention that the Goa'uld scientists that check on the Eyes would most likely notice the discrepancy. It won't be much longer." She bit her lower lip and tried even harder.

There was a barely audible hum. "Sam, look out!" Jonas cried as he jerked her away from the crystal just before the bolt of energy reached it.

The three of them froze in place as they waited for the room to be sealed and the knock-out gas to start pouring in. It was a few more beats before they realized that nothing was happening.

"So what just happened?" Jack asked as Sam went back to pushing the replacement crystal into place.

"The bolt of energy _did_ make a complete circuit," Jonas pointed out. "Maybe that was enough to keep the security protocols from activating."

Sam nodded after one last, minute shove clicked the crystal into place. "I'm sure the system allows for minor fluctuations. I guess the crystal was far enough in place to allow enough energy to pass through that the computer readings suggested a fluctuation instead of a gap."

Jack sighed. "That's good enough for me. Let's get out of here."

They exited the same way they entered, a brief knock at the door answered promptly. Teal'c opened the door. "It will not be long before the guards return," he told them. "I will join you in the storage room shortly."

"See you there," Jack whispered. He gestured for the other two to lead the way back to where they started.

The four of them had gathered in the storage room and were waiting for Telane's knock when a strange feeling had them all sharing worried gazes. "Was that what I think it was?" Jack asked.

"If you believe that was the ship engaging into hyperspace, I believe you are correct," Teal'c confirmed.

"No one said anything about taking a joyride while we were here," Jack protested.

"I'm sure this was an unscheduled trip, sir. The Tok'ra would have told us if there was going to be a possibility that Anubis would be leaving this planet around the planned time of our mission," Sam insisted.

Jack scowled. "I'm not so sure about that, Carter."

Sam sighed. "My dad would have told us, sir. _That_ I'm sure of."

The colonel's expression lightened slightly. "Okay, I'll give you that one."

"So what do we do?" Jonas asked.

"I really don't know," Sam said solemnly.

"And we've only got..." Jack looked at his watch, "a little under seven hours to figure it out."

The four teammates shared a long look, seeing in each others' eyes the acceptance of the difficult position they were now up to their eyeballs in.

* * *

A while later, the four members of SG-1 waited in a far corner of the storage room, three of them seated, carefully shielded from the door by a stack of metallic crates. "Are you sure you can't figure out where we're headed?" Jack asked for the seventh time after suddenly raising his head from where he'd been holding it in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees.

Sam and Jonas shared an exasperated look. "Yes, sir, quite sure. Like I've told you before, I'd need access to a computer interface, and there isn't one in the storage room."

"And we can't chance moving to another room since we don't know what's really going on out there," Jonas added.

"You really didn't see anything out there, Teal'c?" Jack asked the standing Jaffa.

"I did not, O'Neill," the deep voice rumbled. "I realized I would not be able to wander freely as the ship appears to be preparing for battle upon arrival at its destination. If I were discovered I would be questioned as to my appropriate duty station."

Sam sighed and leaned back against the wall behind her. "And it would seem pretty suspicious if he started asking questions about where we were going and what we were doing."

Jack sighed as well and slammed his fists down on his knees. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. But what about Telane? Does anyone else have a bad feeling about the fact that we haven't heard from her yet?"

"If she has duties to perform to prepare for the upcoming battle, she would risk revealing herself as a traitor by not completing them," Teal'c explained.

"I'm sure she'll come as soon as she can," Sam assured her commanding officer, trying to sound positive.

"Well, she's got..." Jack looked at his watch, "four hours and seventeen minutes to get us the heck off this wreck, or we may be staying a bit longer than expected in much more uncomfortable quarters. We certainly don't want Anubis to use the mind probe he used on Thor on any of us."

Jonas shuddered. "I can imagine that wouldn't be very comfortable," he commented.

The quiet whoosh of the door to the storage room sliding open immediately silenced the hushed conversation. SG-1 crouched down into battle-ready positions and waited to see who had decided to join them as they heard buttons beside the now-closed door being pressed.

A single silhouette appeared beside the stack of crates the four of them were hiding behind. "Colonel O'Neill," a female voice whispered. "It is I, Telane. Please reveal yourself."

Jack slowly stood up, his weapon aimed in the direction of the voice. "You better really be alone," he quietly declared.

A tall redheaded woman jumped back slightly at the sudden threat that had appeared behind her. "Colonel O'Neill," she breathed in relief once she'd settled herself, her hand resting on her chest. "Is the rest of your team with you?"

"You didn't answer my question. Are you alone?" Jack shot back.

"Yes, of course," Telane replied, her hand returning to her side. "I came as soon as I was able to excuse myself. There is much activity in the halls of the ship at the moment."

"So we've heard," Jack responded, relaxing slightly without lowering his P-90. "What was that code we heard you enter once you were inside?"

Telane blinked at the unexpected question. "I insured our privacy, Colonel. It will be assumed that this storage room has been secured for the upcoming battle."

Jack frowned. "In other words, you locked the door."

The redhead nodded. "Yes."

Jack looked at her for a long moment, then made a gesture. The rest of SG-1 stood. "So, would you mind explaining why we've jumped into hyperspace?" Jack asked as he lowered his weapon.

"Anubis received word that Amaterasu has gathered a sizable force near a planet in her domain. He believes she will be attempting to send this force against him. He seeks to destroy this fleet before it can leave its home base, eliminating the threat and hopefully destroying Amaterasu's will to fight." Telane gazed from one member of the team to another once she'd stepped behind the stacked crates.

"Who's Amaterasu?" Jack asked.

"I think she's Japanese in origin," Jonas answered. "The sun-goddess of the native religion there."

The colonel nodded. "Okay, that's good enough for me." He looked at their Tok'ra contact. "What does that mean for our timetable? We don't have all that much time left before the isotope some of us have floating around in our bloodstreams wears off."

Telane bowed her head to concede the point. "While that is true, I do not believe that you will be immediately detected upon the isotope's disappearance," she said. "I do not propose to test that theory, but you will most likely have a slightly wider window of opportunity for escape than you currently believe."

"You know, that doesn't mean anything if we can't get off this ship," Jack replied.

"How long before we reach Amaterasu's planet?" Sam asked.

"I do not know the precise amount of time the trip will take, but I do not believe it will be longer than three hours," Telane answered.

Jack checked his watch. "That leaves us just over an hour to get off this ship. Only problem I can see is this planet we're going to is going to end up being the site of quite a violent party. Do you think Anubis is going to just pop out of hyperspace and open up on the ships there?"

Telane shook her head. "That is not likely. Anubis will want to assess the forces opposing him and determine if there will be other System Lords who will join in the attack. He will likely keep his ship cloaked until he has gathered the information he seeks."

Sam frowned. "How will we know if there is a ring platform we can use to get off the ship?" she asked. "And even if there is one, won't there be troops milling around nearby waiting to board Amaterasu's fleet?"

"Can't we take a cargo ship if the ring platform isn't available?" Jonas asked.

"No way," Jack replied. "The ring platform activating can be covered up. A cargo ship leaving the bay while the mother ship is cloaked, that's a different story all together. They'd be able to detect Teal'c for starters, and we'd most likely be shot out of the sky."

"That is true," Telane confirmed. "The life signs of a Jaffa on board a ship appearing to be attempting escape would also alert Anubis to the possibility of sabotage, possibly preventing our plan from successful completion."

There was a brief moment of silence as the five of them considered their situation. "So what do we do?" Jack asked.

Telane looked at him. "As soon as we emerge from hyperspace I will discreetly scan the planet for ring platforms, as well as the position of enemy troops. Once I have devised an escape plan for you I will return to you and inform you of its details."

Jack looked at each member of his team then sighed. "I guess that's what we're stuck with."

* * *

Janet Fraiser made her way toward the VIP room Danny was occupying while Sam was away with SG-1 around nine o'clock the evening of the flagship team's departure. She'd made that trip a number of times during the day, checking up on the small boy and making sure he had everything he needed. She'd been pleasantly surprised when Danny was willing to accompany her to the commissary for that day's meals, and noticed that he smiled much more easily at her. She was on her way toward gaining the child's trust, and the thought that she was close made her proud.

That pride had slipped to the back of her thoughts as she got closer to her destination. She had been told of Jacob Carter's contact earlier that evening that had informed the SGC of Anubis' jump into hyperspace, and the unknown condition of the petite doctor's friends. As per the previous arrangements, Jacob had left the planet Anubis had been orbiting, and was now waiting impatiently at the Alpha Site for SG-1's return. Janet had avoided telling Danny about this turn of events, hoping that SG-1's propensity for getting out of tight spots would come through one more time. She figured she had until five o'clock the next evening, when they were due back. She'd break the news then if it were necessary.

With the guilt of her hidden secret eating at her, Janet gave a brief knock at the VIP room door and entered. Danny sat on the edge of the bed, a pile of neatly folded pyjamas beside him. "Were you waiting for me?" Janet asked, surprised.

Danny sighed and nodded, the woman's question telling him all he wanted to know about the possibility of Sam's early return.

"Then why don't we get you ready for bed?" Janet suggested sweetly in a gentle tone. She knew he had to be disappointed that Sam wasn't there to take care of this nightly ritual, but he was at least willing to let her stand in for the blonde physicist. "Do you need me to come into the shower with you?"

Danny shook his head, sliding off the bed and grabbing the soft pile of night clothes. He slowly made his way toward the bathroom, pausing at the door to look back at the auburn-haired woman standing just inside the room. Janet returned the gaze for a moment. "Do you need me to help with the towel afterward? Is that it?" Danny smiled and stepped into the small, tiled space.

Janet gave a brief sigh of relief that she'd guessed it right, silently wondering at Sam's ability to read this child, then joined the young boy. A little while later, once she'd dried his body and his hair and he'd put on his pyjamas, Janet stepped back and stared at him, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. Danny looked up at her, his expression changing quickly to one of worry at the sight of her watery brown orbs.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Janet said with a shaky smile. "I just looked at you and realized this is what Sam gets to do with you every night... and that I never got a chance like this with my own little girl. I just need to pull myself together." She turned away from the little boy and wiped her face on the hand towel hanging next to the sink. When she turned back, her jaw dropped. Danny was nervously holding out a small comb. "Do you... do you want me to comb your hair?" Janet asked in a soft whisper, awe in her voice.

The physician had to fight back another sob when Danny gave her a shy nod, with only a slight hesitation. She gave him as bright a smile as she could and took the small piece of plastic. It wasn't long before she was finished. "There, now you're as handsome as ever. Go ahead and brush your teeth, and we'll get you tucked away." She stepped out as Danny reached for his toothbrush.

Once Danny had come back into the main room, he headed straight for the turned-down bed and tried to climb into it. Janet gave him a boost, which earned her another shy smile. He laid his head down on the pillow, and Janet brought the blanket up to his chin. "Do you want me to tell you a story?" she asked after she thought he was settled. He shook his head. "Okay, Daniel. I know I can't compete with Sam in that department anyway." She paused for a moment, then decided to forge ahead, sitting down on the edge of the bed near the boy's waist. "Um, Daniel? I know that Sam usually stays with you until you fall asleep. Would you like me to stay? I know I'm not Sam, and I can't really take her place, but you don't have to be alone if you don't want to be." She reached out instinctively and gently rubbed his right arm on top of the covers.

Danny stared at the woman's hand as it went up and down the blanket over his arm. The touch felt good, almost as good as it did when Sam rubbed him like that. He turned his gaze to the doctor's face. The tenderness in her expression, the same tenderness that she'd worn every time she'd visited, on top of the gentle touch, convinced the small boy that this lady really cared about him, even if she wasn't part of SG-1. He bit his lower lip as he continued to look at her.

"Do you want me to stay?" Janet asked again, even more gently. After a long moment of hesitation, Danny nodded, sending another wave of pride and affection over the petite woman's heart. She smiled and retrieved a chair, pulling it right next to the bed. "Now that I'm comfortable," she said once she was seated, "I want you to feel free to drift off. I'll be right here until you're sleeping." Danny gave her one last smile, then closed his eyes. It wasn't long before sleep claimed him.

Janet waited an extra twenty minutes before rising and heading for the door. She turned off the light, then gazed back at the small angel looking so peaceful under the covers. "Sweet dreams, Daniel," she murmured. "I only hope Sam will be back to spend this time with you tomorrow." She then closed the door and went on her way.


	9. Chapter 9

All four members of SG-1 had felt it when Anubis' ship dropped out of hyperspace, Jack confirming Telane's time estimate with a glance at his watch. It was another ten minutes before Telane slipped inside to rejoin them. "What have we got?" Jack asked once he'd confirmed she was alone.

"I believe I have located a second ring platform a relatively safe distance from the Stargate. As we suspected, Amaterasu's Jaffa have gathered in great numbers near the first platform, most likely awaiting her command to board the Ha'tak ships in orbit around this planet," Telane said tersely.

"So when can we ring down?" Jonas asked.

"I cannot be certain that I would be capable of disguising the activation of the rings while Anubis lies in wait. The entirety of the ship is on full alert. Nothing will be missed."

Jack shared a look with Teal'c. "So we wait until Anubis opens fire on Amaterasu's fleet," he said grimly.

Sam looked at him sharply. "But sir, the weapon will overload not long after Anubis tries to use it. I'm not sure how big that explosion will be."

The colonel looked over at his second in command. "You said the odds were against it taking out the whole ship, Carter. I guess we just have to play the numbers."

"I understand that, sir, but this won't be the safest part of the ship to be occupying. Even if the explosion is contained completely within the power core, this will be the first place that ends up crawling with Jaffa."

"Major Carter is correct," Telane said. "I have made arrangements to move you to another storage room in a much more strategic location."

"Which is located where?" Jack asked.

Telane focused her gaze solely on SG-1's team leader. "The ring room will be between you and the power core. Currently, the power core is between you and the ring room."

Jack nodded. "And just how are we making the move? With everybody on full alert like you said, I think someone might take notice of three people in Earth fatigues walking down the hall."

Telane went to a crate on the floor and opened it, then reached in and took out the top panel of weapons that had been resting there. "We will empty the rest of this storage crate as well as two others. The three of you will lie inside and be concealed with panels such as this. I will bring Jaffa to transfer you to the new location."

Jonas frowned at the crates that weren't quite the length of an average person. "It's going to be awfully cramped," he commented.

"It won't be for very long," Sam said. "And it's the easiest way to do it without being seen."

"Yeah, I can see that," Jack agreed somewhat reluctantly. "Are you sure there aren't any man-sized air vents that lead to this new hidey hole of yours?"

"We cannot be sure how long Anubis will wait before beginning his attack," Telane refuted. "You would not wish to be near the power core at the time the Eyes of Power reached overload."

Jack blinked. "Point taken."

They cleared out two more crates, hiding the extra weaponry in the air vent Jack had asked about. Once Sam, Jonas, and Jack were tucked away, the last with a sharp grumble of complaint about his knees, Telane had Teal'c don his Jaffa armor and helmet once again, and they went to recruit others to carry the "supplies" to their new home. Thankfully, Jaffa were trained not to ask questions, although Telane mentioned she wished her scientific equipment moved to a storage area closer to her laboratory. It would have been difficult to explain the weapons and other cargo otherwise.

Jack sprang out of his crate once the weapons had been lifted off of him. "Remind me not to do that again any time soon," he grumbled to Teal'c as the Jaffa offered a hand to assist him.

"Not my favorite pastime, that's for sure," Jonas agreed as he stretched next to his storage box.

"What's next?" Sam asked, rolling her shoulders.

Just then the ship rocked slightly. "It would seem Anubis has disengaged this ship's cloak," Teal'c declared.

Telane headed for the door. "Then I must begin preparations for your escape. There is no time to lose."

"Wait a minute," Jack called just before the Tok'ra operative opened the door. "How are we going to know when to go to the ring room?"

"When you hear the explosion from the power core, come to the ring room," Telane told him with a chilling smile. "It will be quite noticeable." The smile faded. "I will meet you there." And she was gone.

"There's hope for her," Jack said with a gesture toward the door.

It wasn't long before the ship was rocked by a different kind of explosion. Teal'c checked the hallway and found it filled with smoke and debris. "The power core has overloaded," he announced simply.

Jack nodded. "Then let's go."

The four of them quickly dashed to the ring room and found Telane already there, feverishly working on a panel of crystals next to the control pad. "What's going on?" Sam asked, rushing over to help.

"From what I can ascertain, the explosion of the power core has eliminated more than just Anubis' new weapon. It appears that the ship's normal weapons and shields have also been affected, draining them drastically. Power levels all over the ship, and in this section in particular, are fluctuating wildly. I must reroute enough power to this panel or we will not be able to activate the rings." Telane actually looked frightened as she hurried along in her work.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Sam asked.

"Not at the moment. There is too little time."

Jack kept his balance through another shake of the ship, this one apparently with an outer source. "I'd guess Amaterasu is taking advantage of Anubis' sudden vulnerability," he said wryly. "Teal'c, you watch that entrance; I'll watch the one we came from. Jonas, keep an eye on that view screen next to Carter and Telane. Maybe you'll be able to tell if anyone's coming this way."

The others followed his orders swiftly, only the sound of crystals sliding in and out of their slots filling the brief silences between direct hits from the battle surrounding them. A few minutes later, Jonas gasped. "Sam, come look at this," he said, pointing at the screen he'd been assigned to monitor.

The blonde stepped over, her eyes widening when she saw what had startled her teammate. "We have to get out of here now," she declared in a tone that brooked no argument. "These readings are saying that the engines are heading toward catastrophic overload."

"I take it this overload will take out a lot more than ours did," Jack said, his words more of a statement than a question.

"It'll take out the whole ship, sir," Sam confirmed.

"What of Anubis?" Teal'c asked.

Sam looked back at the screen. "I'd say he's already made his getaway. A large escape pod has detached from the ship and has activated its hyperdrive engines." There was a brief pause. "It's gone."

Jack walked over to where Telane was making one last adjustment. "Look, unless you want to feel an affinity with space dust, I suggest you just put everything back together and get us all the hell out of here. It doesn't have to be perfect; it just needs to get us off this ship and onto the planet."

"It is finished," Telane declared, putting the panel back into place. "Stand on the platform and I will enter the coordinates."

SG-1 did as they were told, and half a minute later, the four of them plus Telane were standing on a ring platform in the center of the great hall of an unknown building lit by a number of simple orbs evenly spaced around the room. All of them were instantly on alert. "So where are we?" Jack asked.

"All I can be sure of is we are half a day's travel from the Stargate," Telane answered.

"Something tells me we're in a temple," Jonas said, pointing at a large, ornate symbol that took up most of the wall he was facing. There was a comparatively simple throne in front of it, and cushions embroidered with metallic thread were spread out on the floor surrounding the wooden seat.

"It is the symbol of Amaterasu," Teal'c said after a glance.

Telane nodded her agreement. "She most likely holds court here when she visits this planet. We should leave as quickly as possible, to avoid the likelihood of servants discovering our presence."

Jack took one last look around the surprisingly simple room. "That sounds like a good idea." He paused before moving forward. "So why is it that symbol of hers is the only major decoration in here? It totally goes against all the other Goa'uld's gaudy, ego-serving propaganda and other types of galactic graffiti we've found all over the place."

"Amaterasu prefers to be the center of worship when her subjects are in her presence," Telane explained. "Excessive decoration would detract from the glory of her divinity."

"So she doesn't trust her slaves and Jaffa not to be distracted by shiny objects. Interesting," Jack commented with a smirk. He began to lead them all toward the exit.

"Do not think Amaterasu does not care for her praise and glories to be immortalized, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "I have seen many planets where there were numerous statues raised in her name, and walls of engraved gold told of her glories and victories."

Sam gave the Jaffa a brief grin. "We'll find that in the next room, eh, Teal'c?"

There was a twinkle of amusement in his dark brown eyes as he responded, "Indeed."

They all grew silent then, and slowly made their way through the split bamboo curtain and around the large mirror that stood a few feet in front of that. Jack looked back and was about to comment, but at the last second thought better of it and continued to lead his team onward. They had barely managed to hide amidst a large thatch of bushes just to the right of the outer door of the temple when they heard servants rush around inside. The words they heard were loud and angry, though no one could understand what was being said. Their closest guess was Japanese, but because they were on another planet, they couldn't be sure.

Finally the voices subsided. Jack insisted they wait another twenty minutes to make sure they weren't coming out to check the star-lit grounds, but no one did. The five of them crept toward the wide gap in the stone wall that seemed to surround the barely-illuminated yard, then stopped suddenly when they saw the steep set of stairs that led down the tall hill they were atop of.

"That's it, my knees have officially given notice that they're rebelling at the earliest safe opportunity," Jack muttered.

"I can see a large number of people quite a distance from here," Sam declared, staring off into the distance. "Or at least that's what all those flickering lights seem to suggest."

"There's a road that seems to lead directly from here to there," Jonas observed. "It probably leads to the Stargate."

Telane nodded. "That is true. The Stargate does indeed stand at the end of this road."

Jack scowled. "Then we can't take it, at least not on the road itself. Amaterasu has a bunch of Jaffa bunching around the ring platform next to the gate waiting to ring up to the ships in orbit to go fight Anubis. But Anubis' big ship was just blown to smithereens." He gestured to the artificial meteor shower still raining down from the sky above. "What do you suppose all those troops are going to do with themselves now that they don't have to go off and fight?"

"Come back home," Sam answered. "So we shadow the road?"

"Exactly. Let's get off this hill before we're spotted." Jack led them down the steps as fast as he dared then into the thick forest to the right of the road.

"Shall we continue on?" Telane asked politely when Jack stopped them in a particularly dense thicket.

The colonel shook his head. "Not anymore tonight. While I'm sure you and Teal'c are more than capable of taking another twelve-hour hike in stride, the rest of us could end up tired, especially after all that glorious excitement." He again gestured to the luminescent debris still streaking through the sky. "Tired people make mistakes. We'll cover up whatever tracks we left getting in here and head out at dawn. Teal'c, can you take a solo watch?"

The Jaffa gave a single nod. "I can, O'Neill."

"Then you take first watch. While we set up what camp we can, why don't you take care of those tracks?" Jack watched Teal'c slip silently into the surrounding darkness after removing the loud metal plates and helmet of his armor then turned back to the others. "Carter, you and Jonas take second watch. Telane and I will take third. Two hours for each. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Sam and Jonas chimed together, Telane a beat behind with her murmur of assent.

"Let's get some rest. Tomorrow just might be a really long day."

As Sam settled down to try to sleep, her mind couldn't help but wander back to the SGC where she knew a little boy was anxiously awaiting her return. She could only hope their luck would hold, and the five of them would make it to the Stargate without incident. She knew they would be late, and that her father had most likely already informed General Hammond of Anubis' ship's disappearance. If Danny didn't know, she hoped Janet and the others could shield him from the terrifying truth as long as possible, choosing to believe that she and her team would be a bit tardy but all right. If Danny did know, she hoped her friends back home would be enough to comfort him until she did come back. Her expression hardened. She would come back, no matter what or how long it took. And with that silent promise to herself and the boy she held in her heart, she slipped into a light, restful sleep.

* * *

It seemed like no time had passed at all before the five of them were moving again in the pale light of early day. It was slow going, the thick grove of trees that shadowed the road providing obstacles along with cover. The trickiest part was keeping the noise down to a minimum as people traveled to and from the temple behind them.

At the speed they were forced to go, everyone realized Telane's estimate of half a day was on the conservative side. Jack led them through the trees and thick underbrush while Teal'c was last in line, doing his best to cover their tracks. They stopped periodically when the sounds of someone getting a little close reached their ears, but fortunately no one came close enough to cause a problem. They'd gone perhaps a third of the way to the Stargate when Jack decided to stop for a quick lunch.

It was a silent meal. All five of them lost themselves in their thoughts, one ear always wide open for any intruder. Sam couldn't help but think of little Danny waiting back at the SGC. Had they told him about SG-1 disappearing along with Anubis' ship? Did anyone know the ship had been destroyed? If they did it wasn't likely they'd think anyone had survived. They wouldn't tell Danny that, would they? At least not right away? Sam bit her lower lip and tried to force the horrible thoughts from her mind. She couldn't afford them. The last thing she needed was something distracting her at a crucial moment.

When they were done, they moved on, and the going was just as slow as it had been before. They were another third of the way to their destination when the distinctive tromp of Jaffa marching reached their ears. Jack signaled them a bit further back into the brush, then they all stilled and waited for the soldiers to pass.

In the next few moments, they were all glad Jack had made the calls he did. The Jaffa were beating the bushes along the side of the trail; some even came in far enough to reach their previous position. They all could tell the warrior's hearts weren't completely into the search, but honor demanded they follow their orders.

When the first wave had passed, SG-1 and Telane shared a wary look tinged with relief. "I did not believe the Jaffa would be so suspicious as to the possibility of survivors," the Tok'ra whispered, her expression disturbed and worried.

"That may not be the only explanation for their behavior," Teal'c refuted quietly. "While we were aboard Anubis' ship, were you able to ascertain if Amaterasu would be at the helm of one of her ships?"

"Yes," Telane confirmed. "I believe that is why Anubis waited as long as he did to begin the attack."

"So Amaterasu is on one of those ships up there," Jonas murmured, looking up into the sky.

Sam's expression was thoughtful. "Or maybe not. What if she's ringed down to the planet?"

Teal'c gave her a small smile. "I believe that is a distinct possibility. It would explain her warriors' behavior. They would take such actions to clear the way for their goddess on her way to her temple."

Jack raised a hand, his brows furrowed in slight confusion. "Why wouldn't she just ring down to her throne room instead of taking the long way around?" he asked.

"She has just won a great battle, O'Neill," the dark-skinned Jaffa answered him. "She will wish to receive the proper adulation for her achievement."

"But that means there'll probably be more of these sweeps," Jonas pointed out.

"Of course there will," Jack grumbled. Then he sighed. "We'll have to keep an even closer ear out then. At the first sign of company, we pull back further into the brush like we did this time. Let's get going."

Telane reached out and laid a hand on Jack's arm before he'd moved more than a couple inches. "Should we not merely remain here until the bulk of Amaterasu's army has passed?"

The colonel shook his head. "It's getting late, and we still have a ways to go to the gate. If anyone caught us here, it'd be too far to make a run for it. I don't think they're really expecting to find anyone; they looked like they were more going through the motions than seriously looking for people. As long as we're careful, we can make it to the Stargate and put enough distance between us and them before sundown. I'd rather get home before the SGC finds out about the success of our mission and starts thinking we didn't make it."

"Of course," Telane conceded.

"Then let's go." Jack moved forward through the trees, his team following.

An hour later, they again heard the sound of Jaffa marching, this group much larger by the increase in volume. Again they pulled back into the brush, even further than they had before. It wasn't long before the search parties came through, pushing bushes and tree branches aside as well as poking their staff weapons into places too low or awkward for them to crawl into themselves. Sam could just make out the enemy forms as she peeked out through the leaves that kept her out of sight.

And so it was that she saw one of the soldiers thrust his weapon into the brush beside her, directly toward where Telane had taken cover. On instinct, she reached over and covered the Tok'ra's mouth, where she felt the sharp intake of breath against her hand as well as the sudden tenseness of the other woman's body. On the other side of the bushes, the Jaffa that had done the damage had hesitated, having felt the resistance against the blow of his weapon. He raised the staff up to strike again, and Sam wasn't sure she could keep the Tok'ra quiet a second time.

* * *

Five-thirty. Janet sighed and took another look at the clock on the wall of her office. Yes, it still declared the time to be after seventeen hundred hours, the time when SG-1 was supposed to be back from their mission. But they weren't back yet, and no one was sure what had happened to them. The doctor sighed again and rose to her feet. She decided to head for General Hammond's office to get what answers she could; she needed to know what to tell the little boy in a VIP room on level twenty-five that desperately wanted to know what had happened to the small group of people in this world that he trusted without question.

Curt permission to enter was the reply to her knock at the general's office door, and Janet braced herself before following the command. She saw General Hammond sitting behind his desk, a serious expression shaping his features as he gazed at her. The auburn-haired doctor couldn't help but notice the worry that filled the pale blue eyes of her commanding officer. "Doctor Fraiser," he greeted her shortly. "How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you had any new information on SG-1, sir," Janet said. "I need to know what to tell Daniel."

"We've received a preliminary report from the Tok'ra that suggests Anubis' mother ship was destroyed in a battle with another System Lord's fleet. There's no word on whether or not SG-1 was on board when that happened. I'm not sure I'd tell Daniel all that, however."

Janet sighed. "I know, sir. But I have to tell him something, and I don't want to lie. Sam wouldn't want that."

Hammond's eyes dropped. "I know she wouldn't, Doctor. Jacob is still holding out hope that they're safe, asking for more time to find out what really happened out there." He brought his gaze back up. "I've given it to him. Officially, SG-1 is only a little over a half-hour late. That in and of itself isn't unusual."

The physician's brown eyes narrowed. "But with the other information we've received..."

"That other information is not confirmed, Doctor," the general interrupted firmly.

"Yes, sir," Janet replied promptly. She paused. "So what do I tell Daniel?" she asked softly.

Hammond's eyes turned gentle. "I don't know, Doctor, but I trust you to think of something. Just as I believe Major Carter trusts you. She left Daniel in your care, after all."

Janet swallowed the lump in her throat before responding. "Yes, she did. Thank you, sir. I'd better go take care of that then."

"You're dismissed," he said sympathetically. "And you'll do fine." Janet smiled and nodded her thanks, then left the office.

Her mind was still a blank when she arrived at the boy's VIP room. The doctor gave a brief knock and entered, stopping in her tracks when she saw what awaited her inside. Danny sat in the middle of the bed, Sunshine held tightly in his arms as he stared at the clock resting on the bedside table. He didn't turn to acknowledge his visitor.

Janet was frozen for a long moment, then somehow managed to shut the door behind herself and move closer to the bed. "Daniel?" she asked. The boy didn't move. "Daniel, I know you're worried about Sam and the others because they're not back yet. I'm worried too." The petite woman wanted to kick herself for the admission. It did get the child to look at her, however, blue eyes wide. She gave him as comforting a smile as she could. "But you have to remember that SG-1 is a team that has gotten themselves out of all kinds of trouble a lot of times before. They'll come back."

Danny swallowed and blinked away a few tears. "Are you sure?" he asked in a barely-audible voice, his arms squeezing the plush animal he held even more tightly.

"I..." The automatic affirmative caught in Janet's throat before it could leave her lips, her own doubts and fears washing over her. She had said she didn't want to lie to the boy, and she had meant it. "No, I'm not sure," she said finally, her head dropping slightly. "But I haven't given up hope yet. They've come back too many times for me to give up."

"Then... then I won't give up either," Danny whispered, swallowing another lump in his throat. He laid his cheek against the top of Sunshine's head and tried to smile. Doctor Fraiser had been so nice to him, and obviously cared about him. He didn't want her to be sad because of him.

Janet looked at the brave young boy. "How about we wait for SG-1 together, huh? We can sit together in my office."

Danny stared at her for a long moment then nodded shyly. "Sunshine, too?" he asked hesitantly.

The doctor gave a little laugh. "Sunshine, too. We'll grab some supper from the commissary then go back to the infirmary. I'm sure Sam and the others will be back before we know it." She offered a hand, and after Danny had slid off the bed and shifted the plush ape to one side he took it. The two of them then left to continue their vigil together.

* * *

Sam wasn't sure what had happened. One second she was practically cutting off Telane's air supply to keep her quiet in the face of a second blow to the shin from the Jaffa standing far too close to their hiding place, and the next she was involuntarily flinching away from a booming command that had the entire Jaffa patrol marching back to the road proper and leaving SG-1 plus one crouched in continued safety. She gave the Tok'ra she held a questioning look and released her upon receiving a non-verbal assurance of silence.

Jack looked the pair over with a swift glance then returned his attention to the now-fading footsteps of the Jaffa patrol. Once he decided they were far enough away, he gestured for his team to continue on their way. He called a halt a half hour later. "All right, what happened back there?" he asked in a sharp whisper once Teal'c had assured him the coast was clear.

"I apologize, Colonel O'Neill," Telane said immediately. "I was taken by surprise by a strike to my leg during the Jaffa search. If it were not for Major Carter's timely actions, I would have inadvertently revealed our position."

"Well, Carter was there and you didn't," Jack said begrudgingly, giving the Tok'ra a brief glare. "We weren't expecting the patrol to come that far into the brush anyway, so you're not completely at fault. Teal'c, can we look forward to more of that?"

"I do not believe so, O'Neill," the Jaffa replied. "The command that was given was intended to hasten the patrol in its task. Amaterasu's arrival must be expected at any time."

Telane nodded. "Teal'c is correct, Colonel. The commander wished the patrol to return to the city prior to the evening meal."

Jonas creased his brows in thought. "So are we going to run into any more patrols?" he asked.

"Well, I doubt they'll be very thorough if we do," Jack said. "We'll still have to be careful, of course, but we might be able to put on a little more speed. The brush is a little thinner around here anyway." He made a brief gesture, and the five of them continued on toward the Stargate.

They'd covered half the distance they had left when more armor-rattling footsteps were heard thundering toward them. Jack's expression became a silent curse, and he quickly led the others further back into the remaining undergrowth. There was another breath-catching moment when a pair of Jaffa stopped directly in front of their hiding spot and peered into the clump of bushes they were surrounded by. Jonas subtly moved a branch to cover Sam and Telane's hair when he figured out what had caught the warriors' attention, and soon enough the Jaffa were on their way. About ten minutes later, the stomping footsteps were fading off into the distance.

Jack looked over his team. "We seemed to have come through that in one piece," he said, relieved. "Did anyone catch any random comments that would tell us what was going on with that bunch?"

Jonas looked off in the direction the Jaffa squad had gone. "That group was bigger than the others put together," he said, his eyes large and his voice soft.

"I believe I heard a reference to the goddess herself," Telane offered. "The Jaffa may have been escorting Amaterasu to the temple."

"That would account for the size of the patrol," Sam agreed.

"That would also suggest a relatively clear path to the Stargate," Jonas added.

Jack shook his head. "I'm not taking any chances at this stage of the game. We'll keep going like we have. The brush is still thick enough. And by the time it isn't it should be dark enough to cover our approach to the DHD." He looked straight at Sam. "We'll head for the Alpha Site if at all possible."

Sam frowned in confusion for a moment then cleared her expression. "Yes, sir. We'll gate to the Alpha Site."

SG-1's commander looked around at everyone. "We'll take a quick pit stop here. Take care of any last minute needs, then we'll head out in ten. Carter, help me scout up ahead, would you?"

"Yes, sir," she replied, noticing the silent command Jack gave to Teal'c to watch over Telane. "Why the Alpha Site, sir?" she asked once Jack had given her the signal that they were alone.

"I'm not taking that Tok'ra back to Earth. That little stunt with the last patrol put me on edge, and I'm not willing to take the chance we're dealing with a traitor," Jack explained, darkly serious.Sam blinked at the tone. "She was taken by surprise, sir. It could have happened to any of us."

Jack nodded his concession of the point. "Maybe, but it didn't. I'm not saying she actually is a traitor, but like I said, I'm just not willing to take the chance."

"I understand, sir." She thought for a moment. "I take it you don't want her to see the address."

"You got it, Carter. And if the unexpected happens and we're running for our lives, pick a safe, deserted planet first."

"Yes, sir."

Jack's look softened a bit. "Way to catch her, though, Carter. You saved our asses back there."

Sam smiled. "Thank you, sir. I just got lucky enough to see where the Jaffa was hitting with his staff weapon, that's all."

The colonel gave a brief chuckle. "That's good enough for me. We can use all the good luck we can get." He gazed around the area they were in. "I think we're clear for a while. Let's go back to the others."

Jack had been correct in his earlier assessment. The sun had set and night had fallen by the time they were within running distance of the Stargate. When they arrived, the five of them crouched down in the last of the underbrush and looked out over the large clearing the gate and DHD stood in. "That's an awfully long distance in the open," Jack murmured, frowning.

"We don't really have a choice, sir," Sam said. "The guards stationed here have a pretty wide circuit to walk, though, so we should have time if we wait until they're far enough away."

"Major Carter is correct, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed. "Because they foolishly leave no one to guard the Stargate, they would be forced to rush to return at the first sound of its activation, and this would only allow them to witness us stepping through if we were to await the moment they reach the furthest point of their perimeter before entering the address."

"That sounds about right. And you're both sure?" Jack asked, looking from his second in command to the Jaffa and back to confirm his own mental calculations.

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. We'll have to time their circuit and leave cover as soon as they're out of sight, but it can be done."

Jack looked at Jonas and Telane and, seeing no objections, nodded his agreement. "All right, we'll do it that way. Carter, you're on DHD duty once we get there. Everyone else covers her. Time out their circuit and let's get going."

Two and a half hours later, the team was ready to put their plan into action. The small Jaffa squad disappeared into the darkness behind the Ancient device, and the five of them swiftly moved into the clearing. They were stopped halfway to their destination, however, by a small explosion in front of Jack's feet. "Damn it!" he cursed, his head snapping in the direction of the staff weapon blast. "We can't catch a break!" He raised his P-90 and began firing at the six Jaffa that were running down the road toward them.

"The other Jaffa!" Jonas cried, pointing toward where the first patrol had disappeared a little while ago. More staff weapon fire came from that direction.

"Carter! Dial us out of here!" Jack yelled as Teal'c joined him and Jonas began firing at the other group.

"Yes, sir!" Sam replied as she took aim at Jonas' sextet, her feet already starting to run toward the DHD.

Telane took up position next to Jack and raised the zat gun that had been strapped to her belt. "I believe this squad was to replace the guards we have been watching," she told the colonel, firing off a few shots as she did.

Jack gave a low growl and fired another burst. "Why does that not surprise me?" he grumbled.

Sam quickly found herself at the DHD, Jonas using strategic bursts of weapon fire to keep the Jaffa that had returned to the scene of the fight under cover more often than they were letting loose volleys of staff weapon blasts. She punched in the address of a planet they'd found to be deserted a little over a year and a half ago then brought her gun to bear while the wormhole formed. "We're good to go, sir!" she called as she helped her teammate hold off the alien warriors.

"Then let's go!" Jack yelled back, gesturing for Telane and Teal'c to begin a careful withdrawal.

The five of them met on the steps leading up to the Stargate, now in an even better position to defend themselves as they hurried through the event horizon. Amaterasu's planet was suddenly gone from their vision, and the lush, green planet that Sam had dialed took its place. Jack looked around approvingly. "Way to go, Carter," he said lowly into her ear.

They watched for any Jaffa that might have been able to make it through after them, but the wormhole shut down shortly after their arrival. Sam led the way over to the DHD, this time to dial the Alpha Site, Jonas at her side. "Make sure Telane doesn't see the address," she whispered to the Kelownan without changing her expression.

"Sure," he whispered back, a touch of confusion in his voice. He'd have to ask about it later.

"I think the folks at home are going to be happy to see us," Jack declared, his light-hearted tone at odds with the careful, wary look he was continuing to give his surroundings. "Especially when they hear the great news."

"Speaking of this great news, Colonel, we will need to speak of the ultimate disposition of the Eye of Ra you currently have in your possession," Telane said emotionlessly.

The members of SG-1 shared a quick look. "Figures," Jack grumbled. "Take all the glory out of our day."

The Tok'ra raised an eyebrow. "This is important, Colonel. And I believe that it would be best for the Eye of Ra to be given to the Tok'ra at the end of this mission. The incident that led to Anubis' possession of the Eye is proof that it is not safe in the hands of the Tau'ri."

Sam paused in her examination of the DHD while the men of SG-1 all gritted their teeth at the callous comment, Jack worst of all. The team commander took a breath to retort angrily when an unexpected voice beat him to it. "Do you have any idea what happened before it was decided to give up the Eye?" Jonas asked in a low tone, filled with an underlying fury no one had heard from the newest member of their team before. "Do you have any idea what we went through before we made that choice?"

"You and the people of Abydos were doing battle with the forces of Anubis," Telane replied, obviously confused as to where Jonas was taking the conversation. "I have also heard that Doctor Jackson arrived on the planet as well."

"Oh, yes, he was there," the brown-haired man continued, his voice still soft and icy. "If it weren't for Doctor Jackson there would have no chance at all of stopping Anubis from getting the Eye. And if it weren't for him we never would have found it in time."

"And then you used it to bargain for your own survival, sacrificing the rest of the galaxy to the power of Anubis' weapon," the red-haired Tok'ra retorted impatiently. "Do you see now why the Tau'ri cannot be trusted with such a powerful artifact?"

Jonas made a harsh slashing gesture with his arm as he took a step toward the blended woman. "You don't even know our reasoning and you're so willing to condemn us!" he shouted, losing control for a moment. He took a deep breath while everyone else stared at him in shock. "Doctor Jackson made the bargain with Anubis," the Kelownan continued, his tone returning to the quiet hardness it had held previously. "He used the Eye to bargain for our safety and for that of the people of Abydos. He was planning on using his powers as an Ascended being to make sure Anubis didn't go back on that promise. But something happened, something had to have happened to keep him from being able to do that. And we know that whatever that was had to be something extremely powerful to stop the Ascended."

Telane met the hard blue-green gaze boring a hole into her own. "Then why did that power not stop the actions of Anubis?"

Jonas scowled. "How are we supposed to know? The only reason we know Doctor Jackson was stopped was because of the destruction of Abydos. He never would have let that happen if he'd been able to prevent it. He's too good a man to have done anything else." He took another deep breath as he remembered Daniel's sacrifice for his own people. "We trusted him with the Eye. We'd do it again." He paused for a moment when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He glanced back to find Sam standing beside him wearing a small supportive smile. "Doctor Jackson has been willing to sacrifice everything on more than one occasion to save other people, people he didn't even know," Jonas continued as he returned his gaze to the Tok'ra before him. He missed the slight tugging on his backpack. "People that may not have even deserved that sacrifice. But he wouldn't have made the bargain he did if he didn't think he could make it stick. We didn't make the wrong call. We put our faith in one of the best people we could have put it in. Extraordinary circumstances made it all fall apart, and now we've corrected the mistake those circumstances left behind. Doctor Jackson may have finally made the ultimate sacrifice for that Eye, and I don't want to see it just... thrown to the wolves because you're so willing to judge our actions without knowing the full story."

"Thank you, Jonas," Sam whispered into the sudden silence that followed his conclusion.

"While I appreciate your motivations, that does not change the fact that the Tau'ri should not be entrusted with the Eye of Ra," Telane insisted. "Your emotional attachment to Doctor Jackson blinded you to the bigger picture that should have been considered before agreeing to his plan."

A firm hand on his other shoulder stopped Jonas from responding. "I got this one, Jonas," Jack said from his other side. "Apparently what you've already said wasn't good enough for her." His brown gaze met the younger man's blue-green one. "But it was good enough for me." He turned back to Telane. "The only thing my teammate here left out was that there was another reason Daniel wanted us to escape. There was a tablet that talked about an even bigger and better weapon that was more than a match for Anubis, even with his super weapon. And no, you can't have it, and no, we're not telling you anything more about it."

Telane rolled her eyes. "Selmak has already informed the High Council of the tablet you recovered from Ra's pyramid on Abydos," she stated.

Jack frowned. "Right, whatever. The thing is, Daniel thinks that tablet was even more important than the Eye. If this weapon of his really is that powerful, he's right. I don't regret putting my faith in my friend. And we're not giving up the Eye that he was willing to face off against the Others to help us get."

"You may not have a say in the matter, Colonel O'Neill," Telane said haughtily. "I will be bringing the matter to the High Council. I am sure they will wish to discuss this in relation to the treaty our peoples share."

"All right, fine," Sam snapped, taking a few steps away from Jonas after giving his shoulder one last squeeze. "If you're going to start dragging the treaty into it, I have a solution for you." She released her backpack from her vest. "Colonel, you put the Eye into my pack when we made the switch, right?"

"Well, yeah," Jack replied, unsure of where this was going.

The blonde major looked at Telane again and held her arms straight out from her sides. "I have nowhere else I could put it. Jonas, would you dial up the Alpha Site, please?"

Jonas looked at her oddly then glanced over at Jack. The colonel gave him a nod after a long moment of contemplation. "All right, Sam," the younger man agreed quietly and went over to the DHD to begin the dialing sequence.

Sam moved over to the side of the Stargate. "This will all be over in a minute," she said with a glare at Telane as the chevrons locked. As the wormhole formed with its usual kawoosh, Sam tossed her pack into the vortex, disintegrating it completely. "There," she said into the stunned silence that followed her actions. "Now there's no Eye of Ra to argue about."

Telane blinked a few more times in shock then walked swiftly over to where Jonas still stood next to the DHD. "You are trying to deceive me," she said harshly. "You hid the Eye amongst your teammate's things." Before Jonas could react, the Tok'ra had removed his pack and was digging through it, taking everything out for inspection. All that was revealed was a pile of supplies, meters, and other scientific equipment, more than Jonas had originally packed.

"I didn't see the need to destroy everything," Sam said coldly. "Some of those devices are very expensive and hard to replace."

"You truly destroyed the Eye of Ra," Telane whispered, looking at Sam with awe. "Do you mistrust the Tok'ra so much that you would disintegrate such a powerful artifact? Think of what could have been discovered and developed from studying how it functioned!"

Sam shook her head. "It wasn't really mistrust that made me do what I did. The Eye of Ra is too powerful for any one faction to have. And you know as well as I do that we can't trust everyone involved with your people or our people. Now, even if the other Eyes survived the explosion, a super weapon like the one Anubis created can never be rebuilt, and our people can't fight over the Eye we had. It's not worth it." She took a deep breath and released it. "And Daniel wouldn't have wanted us to be torn apart over it."

There was a moment of silence as Telane rose to her feet and dusted herself off. Jack finally broke it by radioing to the Alpha Site and letting them know who was coming through while Jonas repacked his bag. "Well, let's head out," the silver-haired man said in a subdued voice once he was finished. "People are waiting for us." He gestured toward the still-active gate.

Telane shook her head and was the first one to disappear through the event horizon. The male members of SG-1 paused when they saw Sam head back for the DHD. "What are you doing, Sam?" Jonas asked.

"I almost forgot something," she said with a half smile, kneeling down and opening a panel on the pedestal of the Dial Home Device. Jack and Jonas gasped when they saw what she pulled out.

"Is that not the Eye of Ra?" Teal'c asked, both eyebrows as high as they could go.

"That it is, Teal'c. I didn't think Daniel's sacrifice should be in vain." Sam shrugged.

Jack frowned, confused. "So was all that stuff you told Telane a complete bluff?"

Sam shook her head. "No, sir, not in the least." She walked to the edge of the clearing and pulled a small folding spade out of her vest. She quickly dug a hole beneath a flowering bush and buried the Eye. "We can't trust the NID not to get their hands on it if we take it home, and who knows what the Tok'ra will do with it. It's better if everyone thinks all the Eyes have been lost."

Jonas nodded. "But we'll still know," he said softly.

"Yeah. For Daniel," Sam said simply.

"Let's get going before people get too worried," Jack said as he gave his 2IC an approving look. "They're expecting us."

With that, the four teammates walked through the Stargate together.


	10. Chapter 10

It was after two in the morning when SG-1 finally made it back to Earth. Hammond declared that their debriefing could wait until ten o'clock the next morning and ordered them to the infirmary for their usual post-mission check up. Sam in particular couldn't wait to get through the standard procedure. There was a little boy waiting in a VIP room that she couldn't wait to get back to.

The four of them were surprised when Janet stood waiting for them in the center of the infirmary, a large smile lighting up her features. "You have no idea how glad I am that you all made it back." She eyed them up critically. "And apparently in one piece. Get up on the beds and we'll make this quick so you can get some sleep."

The flagship team did as ordered. Sam couldn't help but fidget as she mentally hurried on the nurse who took care of her examination, her desire to see her ward pushing her to the breaking point. Finally the woman was done and gave the major an all clear with a knowing smile. Sam returned the expression and hopped off the bed. "Thank you, Lieutenant," Sam said, starting to turn toward the door.

"Sam, wait a second," Janet called as she made a note on Jack's chart.

"What is it, Janet?" the blonde woman asked, trying to control her impatience. "I need to get..."

"Sam!" an unexpected yet familiar voice called from the other side of the room. She spun around at the sound in time to see a tiny blond whirlwind carrying a yellow plush ape come flying at her and wrap himself around her legs. "You're home! You're okay!"

Sam stared down at the small boy in shock, the utter surprise freezing her thoughts for a long moment. Finally she shook it off and scooped Danny into her arms, taking advantage of his proximity to rub her cheek against his soft hair. "I'm home, Danny. You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

Danny squeezed his arms around her neck for a moment. "I missed you," he whispered into her ear. "I was scared."

"I was too," she admitted, tightening her own embrace. "But we did it, Danny. We wrecked Anubis' weapon."

"I knew you would," Danny said happily before drawing back and giving her a bright smile. "SG-1 always wins."

Sam struggled not to let her smile falter. "Well, we try," she said.

Janet came over at that point, Jack's post-mission physical having been completed. "Daniel was waiting with me in my office and fell asleep on the cot in there. I figured it couldn't hurt for him to stay there for the night."

The physicist gave her friend a smile. "That's fine," she said. "I just got to see Danny all the sooner." She turned her head to look at the boy again. "I thought about you a lot while I was gone," she told him.

"You did?" Danny asked.

"You bet I did," Sam assured him.

"So did Sunshine there help like I thought he would?" Jack asked as he joined the trio in the center of the room.

Danny nodded shyly, dropping his chin slightly. "I... I hugged him like you told me," he said in a barely-audible voice.

Jack grinned. "Good boy."

Jonas came up then and smiled at the child. "Decided to wait for us, huh?" he asked.

"He was nice enough to keep me company," Janet said when it was obvious the boy wouldn't say anything further, having buried his face into Sam's neck to leave only his wide blue eyes visible.

"Your actions were noble, young Daniel," Teal'c declared, having come up with Jonas. "It is quite honorable to share a friend's vigil."

Sam gave Danny a squeeze then turned a smile on the friends that surrounded her. "We should get some sleep."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, that briefing is going to be here before you know it. Let's all catch some shut-eye. You all did good."

"Thanks, Colonel," Jonas replied, smiling.

"Oh, get out of my infirmary," Janet told them, shooing them toward the door. "I want to get some sleep myself. Doctor Warner has the night shift so I can go as soon as you do. Now beat it!" They all did as they were told, chuckling as they went.

It wasn't long before Sam and Danny were in his VIP room. But the boy wouldn't let go when Sam tried to seat him on the edge of the bed so she could get ready to go to sleep herself. "Danny?" she queried, confused. "What's wrong?"

There was a long silent moment. "You didn't come back on time," Danny finally said into her shoulder, his voice muffled.

Sam's eyes fell closed. "I know," she whispered.

"No one knew where you were."

"I know."

"I heard someone say Anubis took you away."

Sam flinched at the admission, her eyes springing open. "Kind of," she told him.

Danny drew back slightly to look her in the face. "Huh?" he asked.

Sam took a deep breath and released it. "Anubis left for another part of space while we were on board, but he never knew we were there. We didn't get caught."

"He didn't take you away on purpose?"

"No, Danny. It was just bad timing, that's all. He decided to go fight another Goa'uld. We just happened to be on his ship when he did. That's all that happened."

Danny stared intensely into her eyes for a long time. Sam held his gaze without hesitation, something inside her saying he needed to find something there that would tell him she was telling the truth. "Anubis didn't hurt you." There was just a bit of a question in the simple statement.

Sam smiled slightly. "Anubis didn't hurt us. Like I said, he never even knew we were there. And we wrecked his super weapon. We just had to avoid a bunch of Jaffa on our way to the Stargate on the planet we ringed down to before we could come home, that's all. That's why we were so late."

The boy hugged her again. "I didn't like it when you were late. It scared me."

"I was scared too, Danny. I much prefer coming back on time, I promise."

"I know," Danny said with a sigh followed immediately by a huge yawn.

"Let's go to bed, Danny," Sam said gently. His grip finally loosened as he nodded and she laid him back against the pillows. "I'll get ready and we'll go to sleep. Is that okay?" He nodded again. She smiled. "I'll be just a minute." She disappeared into the bathroom with a set of pyjamas she pulled out of a drawer of the dresser in the room.

When she came back she settled the both of them under the covers, and the exhaustion of their ordeals quickly pulled them into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Can I see you for a moment, Colonel?" General Hammond asked after SG-1's debriefing was over the next morning.

Jack paused in the act of turning toward the door. "Yes, sir," he replied, then followed the older man into his office.

Hammond gestured for Jack to close the door behind him and sat down behind his desk. "You really ordered Major Carter to destroy the Eye of Ra?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, sir," Jack said promptly, stiffening his spine as he stood before his commanding officer.

"You do realize the trouble this is going to cause with the Tok'ra, not to mention our own government."

"Yes, sir, I'm aware of that." Jack's face was completely shut off.

Hammond sighed. "I want to believe you had a very good reason for what happened out there, Jack. I really do. But I cannot imagine a reason that will satisfy anyone. What were you thinking?"

Jack shifted his shoulders slightly, his gaze still staring straight ahead at the large eagle behind Hammond's chair. "The Tok'ra would not have allowed us to keep the Eye, General. Telane was emphatic about that. She threw the treaty in our faces after only a few minutes. I doubt we would have even been allowed to work with them on the research on it. We also know the Goa'uld have been successful at infiltrating their ranks before; what would have happened if the Eye fell into the wrongs hands? I only had a few moments to make a decision, sir. I believe I did what was best to preserve our treaty and the balance of power in the galaxy."

The general said nothing as he leaned back in his chair and watched his second in command carefully. After a long moment of silence he spoke. "Why are you covering for the major, Colonel? This is going to be a huge black mark on your record, if certain people have anything to say about it."

Jack met the other man's gaze. "Daniel was willing to sacrifice everything for that damn Eye of Ra. He never would have wanted it to be used as a pawn in a power struggle between us and the Tok'ra, or in some devious way by the more unscrupulous people connected to our own government. And who knows who else would have come out of the woodwork when they found out we had the Eye? I support what was done with the Eye of Ra one hundred percent, and I'll gladly accept my punishment for my part in the actions that took place on that planet. Besides," he continued with a more casual shrug, "Carter's more important around here than I'll ever be. On top of that, I'm her superior officer. What happened was my responsibility."

"Interesting wording, Jack," Hammond murmured, his eyes narrowing for a moment. "So you're telling me," he went on in a normal tone of voice, "that you felt our security was threatened by the continued debate over the Eye of Ra?"

"Definitely, sir," Jack replied, immediately seeing where the general was going. "Telane implied that our treaty with the Tok'ra would be endangered by not immediately agreeing to surrender the Eye. I have been assured in the past that preserving that treaty was a high priority."

"And for good reason, including the continued safety of our planet by virtue of intelligence obtained by the Tok'ra and the limited amount of advanced technology they have exposed us to," Hammond agreed, nodding sagely. "I must say that I believe you acted hastily, Colonel, but in what you perceived to be the best interest of Earth. I will be sure to relate this to my superiors. Dismissed."

Jack snapped off a salute and headed out of the office and toward Sam's lab as soon as it had been returned. He knew the general was now suspicious of what had really happened to the Eye, but at the same time understood SG-1's actions. He'd do what he could to protect them.

The colonel found his team plus one little boy gathered at his destination. "Well, hi there, kids," he greeted them all as he walked into the room. "And what have we been doing with ourselves?"

"What did the general say, sir?" Sam asked, ignoring his question.

"What did you expect him to say?" Jack retorted seriously. "He wanted to know why I let the Eye be destroyed."

Sam shook her head. "I still don't understand why you covered for me, sir," she said quietly. "I made that decision on my own."

Danny blinked at the blonde woman from his seat on the stool beside her and cleared his throat lightly. In the uncomfortable silence that had befallen the group, it practically echoed from the walls. The adults all looked at him. "You destroyed the Eye of Ra?" the boy asked nervously, his voice shaking under the scrutiny.

The team members shared a look before Sam answered. "I can't explain what happened, not here," she said softly, her eyes gentle. "Just trust us that we did the right thing, okay?"

Danny nodded. "I trust you," he whispered, looking down at the piece of paper he'd been drawing on. He raised his eyes. "I always trust you."

"Oh, Danny," Sam murmured, a smile twitching at the corners of her lips. The admission truly touched her heart, as well as the hearts of the others. Jack and Jonas looked away for a moment, the older man clearing his throat, while Teal'c gave the child a small silent nod of acknowledgment and appreciation.

"Hey, I was hoping to catch you," a female voice said from the open doorway. They all looked over to see Doctor Sabrina Marconi leaning against the doorjamb. "I'm glad to see you're all back safe and sound. Janet called me this morning."

"Why did she do that?" Jonas asked, confused.

Jack nodded his agreement with the sentiment, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The man has asked a pretty good question, Doc."

Sabrina smiled. "Well, when I heard about your mission from Major Carter - since we had to reschedule my weekly visit with Daniel - I was naturally concerned." Her expression faded to something more serious. "About everyone involved."

The colonel didn't miss the shift of her gaze to the little boy that was currently staring at his nearly-finished drawing. "I see," he said after a beat.

"Did you want to reschedule your visit for today then?" Sam asked, also having seen the shift of the psychologist's focus.

"If it's possible, yes," Sabrina agreed. "But it doesn't have to be right now. Why don't you guys tell me what happened? I'm sure it's quite an exciting story." She smiled impishly, but the concern for the young boy under her care never left her dark blue eyes.

Jack rolled his eyes in mock irritation. "Great, now we're just here to entertain the masses," he grumbled. He gave Danny a wink when the child brought his head up at the comment. "Fortunately, I _like_ entertaining people, people I like anyway." He pretended not to notice Sabrina's start of surprise, and began to relate what had happened during their mission. When he finished with a shrug a while later, he met the psychologist's gaze. "I hope that helps satisfy your curiosity," he said, the look in his brown orbs adding a silent, "and that you can use the information to help the kid."

Sabrina smiled, having understood both messages. "I'm more than satisfied, Colonel. Thank you."

"Actually, could I talk to you first?" Sam asked the psychologist, her eyebrows slightly creased.

"That would be fine," Sabrina replied, her gaze sliding over to gage Danny's reaction. His eyes darted between the two women briefly, then he sighed and began to fidget with his unfinished drawing.

"Danny, we're just going to go talk for a little while, then I'll be back," Sam said to him. "Will you stay here with Teal'c, Jonas, and the colonel while we're gone?"

Danny lifted wide blue eyes to meet Sam's and bit his lower lip. A silent moment later, he nodded. "You won't be gone long?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Sam smiled. "Not long at all. You can show these guys how far you've come on your new language program," she suggested, gesturing to the lap top to his right. He gave her a tentative smile, and with one last gentle hand through Danny's short blond hair, Sam left the lab with Sabrina right behind her.

The two women went down the hall to an empty lab and seated themselves at one of the tables. "So, what's bothering you?" Sabrina asked once they were settled.

Sam told her about her reunion with Danny upon her return, along with the discussion they'd had in their VIP room before going to sleep. "I'm just afraid this has caused a huge setback," Sam concluded. "I know you're worried about that, too, or you wouldn't have made such a point of being here this soon after the mission."

"You've got me there," Sabrina admitted. "However, what you just told me makes me feel a lot better."

"What do you mean?"

"From what you've said, it's obvious you've earned a deep trust from Daniel. Considering the child grew up in an environment where emotions were not encouraged, and life was an immutable routine, he seems to have adjusted to the uncertainty of the situation and the emotions that come with it amazingly well. You've truly made him feel secure in his new life so far." Sabrina gave a soft, encouraging smile.

Sam shook her head slightly. "But how do you know he hasn't been adversely affected by this? I mean, the very first mission we go on, barely three weeks after he comes to live with me in his new home, and we end up overdue, possibly captured by who he knows is the worst Goa'uld we've encountered yet. How is that not damaging?"

Sabrina sighed. "I'm not saying it isn't damaging. I can't say anything for certain until I talk with Daniel and some more time has passed. But I can say that his willingness to tell you about how he was feeling is a very positive sign. I have a feeling that he'll be clingy for a while, but that in general he'll be all right. He's just having to adjust to what really happens during all the exciting stories he's heard about all his life." The psychologist shrugged.

"Adjust how?" Sam asked.

"Well, Daniel is fully aware that SG-1 goes on dangerous missions sometimes; he's been read you mission reports for bedtime stories. But now he has to live through those missions instead of just hearing about them long after the fact, when he already knew you all lived to fight another day. Add to that his emerging emotional attachments, and you have quite a lot for a previously-sheltered three-year-old to deal with."

"Are you sure I should still be a part of SG-1, considering all that?" Sam asked worriedly, her eyes wide.

Sabrina nodded. "Definitely. It was said from the beginning this was a double-edged sword; you're experiencing both of those edges right now. But you handled everything well, explaining what happened as soon as you could, assuring him that your mission had been successful, and telling him about your feelings. You all showed him in the infirmary that you were all right, that his world hadn't been shaken up again. Daniel knows this is the kind of thing you guys do, he just has to adjust to how it feels to be in the middle of things while you do it. Fortunately, children are resilient, and I'll be keeping an eye on things to make sure everything works out - as best I can, anyway. You just keep doing what you're doing." The black-haired woman smiled again.

Sam took a deep breath and released it. "Well, if you're sure. But I think I'll put in a request not to go on another mission for a while. I want some more time to settle in with Danny."

"That makes sense," Sabrina agreed. "Don't make it too long, though. Like I said, Daniel needs to get used to you going on missions and him being left behind to wait. I'm sure after you've gone on a few more typical trips, where you're gone for only a day or two and nothing overly exciting happens, that he'll start to get the hang of everything." She paused and creased her eyebrows. "Actually, I think you'd be all right working here on base from now on, like you normally would between missions. I'm not sure I want to establish anything in Daniel's mind that would suggest you'll retreat and go home every time something bad happens during a mission, or if something scares him about one. I know it's not normal procedure, but I'll see if I can clear things with General Hammond to have you bring Daniel in with you. There's no way he's ready to be left with daycare."

"If you're sure," Sam conceded. "But I also don't want him to get used to always coming into work with me. Eventually he's going to have to go to daycare."

"I agree," Sabrina said. "We'll take things one step at a time here on base when he's a little more ready for it. We'll get him ready for that step, don't worry."

Sam smiled. "I'll try not to, but I've noticed my general level of worry has increased ever since Danny came into my life."

Sabrina laughed. "Welcome to motherhood. Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Not right now, no. I guess I should let you talk with Danny."

"That can wait a little while. I want to watch him for a while longer first. Let's go back to your lab." Sabrina did eventually talk to Danny, and reassured Sam that she thought he would be fine with a little extra attention and time. General Hammond agreed to the psychologist's request to have Sam bring Danny in with her for a time, since he had proven to not be disruptive. Then the team invited her to stay for supper, and the six of them - including Danny - enjoyed their evening.

* * *

Sam and Danny's routine didn't change much other than location over the next few days. Because Sam had prepped her department for a longer leave of absence, it was easy for her to take a lighter load, although she had to fight every instinct in her to do it. It had been Sabrina's last suggestion before her departure, promising to come in again on Friday for their usual visit. Sam split her time between a few projects and watching over Danny during his lessons, taking him out for lunch every day to make sure he spent time outside in the improving weather as well as supper and nightly rituals at home every night.

That Friday began like any other day, Sam and Danny coming in by eight and meeting the other members of her team for breakfast. "So, what have you got on your agenda for the day, Carter?" Jack asked once the woman and child seated themselves at the commissary table.

"Well, I have a couple of experiments to check up on, then I need to do a preliminary scan on the dialing computer to get ready for the full-scale diagnostic that's coming up. Sabrina will be coming by for dinner before her weekly session," Sam replied. She turned her head and smiled at her charge. "Danny's going to add a new program to his language lessons today."

"What language are you going to be learning, young Daniel?" Teal'c asked.

Danny glanced at Sam then took a deep breath. "Greek," he whispered shyly, his eyes darting around the bustling room.

Jack blinked in surprise. "That, uh, seems like a big bite to chew," he commented.

Jonas shrugged as he swallowed a bite of pancakes. "There are plenty of reports that say it's easier to learn languages the younger you are. And considering what we know..." He shrugged again, not wanting to say any more in front of the boy.

"Languages are fun for Danny," Sam defended her decision. "I make sure he does other things, too. Actually, I want to do some research on activities we can do together." She smiled at Danny again. "Now that we're busier and getting used to days closer to what will be normal for us, I'm going to need to schedule projects we'll have time for instead of winging it like I have been. It'll help me have a wider variety, too." She laid a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder until he returned the expression.

"I guess I'm just surprised you don't have him started on advanced math yet," Jack said with a smirk.

"I'm just thinking of job security, sir," Sam shot back, struggling to control a grin. "If he's as good at math and science as he is at art and languages, he'll have me beat in no time."

Jonas leaned in to whisper in Danny's ear as the colonel laughed. "You don't have to blush," he said softly in response to the growing pink tint on the toddler's cheeks. "Sam's telling the truth." He gave Danny a small grin.

Things calmed down for a time while they all finished their meals. "I understand SG-9 has been having difficulties with the treaty they are attempting to conclude with the natives of P8C-463," Teal'c commented as they lingered over their plates.

Jonas nodded. "Yeah, I guess they're having a hard time following the rituals the natives are insisting on conducting before they sign. It's not that they're not willing, of course; the rituals have just been very... different than anything they've done before."

"What teams do we have out there at the moment?" Sam asked. "I haven't been able to follow too closely."

"Well, SG-14 and 19 were supposed to be at the Alpha Site going through maneuvers," Jack replied.

"Is it true an outbreak of the chicken pox happened right after we left?" Sam asked.

Jack nodded. "Oh, yeah. The medical team has been surprised by how many people have come down with it, but they're handling it all right. We're steering teams clear of there for another week or so just to be safe."

Teal'c's forehead creased. "Is that not a disease associated with children on this planet?"

Sam nodded. "Usually, but some people never get exposed as children, or only have a mild case. It's a lot worse when you get it as an adult."

"That explains why Janet kept such a close eye on us this week," Jonas said thoughtfully, thinking of the tests the base CMO had put them through as soon as she had received the update from her Alpha Site personnel.

"Well, yeah," Jack said, glancing briefly at Danny. He knew the real reason the doctor had been so paranoid. "Anyway," he continued, looking at Sam, "you know about SG-9. SG-6 is doing a follow-up with the people they came across on their mission three weeks ago. SG-11 is running an archaeological dig on a planet that looks like it was abandoned by the Ancients centuries ago. They haven't run into any other natives. SG-5 is leaving in an hour or so to check out a planet that looks like it might have been abandoned by Ba'al recently." Jack rolled his eyes. "I'm glad we didn't pick that one up. SG-21 is exploring your typical desert planet, and SG-2 has gotten to visit a planet with a nice, thick, dense jungle." The team leader smirked wickedly.

"Oh, Lou has to be loving that," Sam said, fighting back the urge to laugh.

Jack wasn't nearly as successful. "Yeah, Ferretti had a few choice words for me during their last check-in," he said once his chuckles stopped.

The conversation wound down soon afterward, and they each went their separate ways to begin the workday. Sam and Danny went to her lab on level nineteen, and the morning went by smoothly. Lunch was spent in the mountain due to a cold rain coming down topside, and the afternoon began with the two of them working on an art project together. Once Sam put Danny down for his nap, she went to the control room to run her scan.

The gate starting spinning a half hour later. Sam looked over at Sergeant Harriman who was manning the control panel. "Is anyone due right now?" she asked.

"No, ma'am," Harriman replied before announcing the unscheduled off-world activation and closing the iris.

"What have we got?" General Hammond asked as he joined them not long after.

"No IDC yet, sir," Sam replied.

Harriman adjusted his headset with a look of intense concentration. "Radio message coming through, sir. It's SG-5."

Hammond nodded. "Put it on the speakers." He watched as the sergeant pushed the right buttons. "What's your status, SG-5?" he asked into the panel's microphone.

A loud explosion was heard before a voice finally came through. "We're under attack, sir," SG-5's team leader Lieutenant Colonel Chad Byron half-shouted over the continuing din behind him. "The only problem is we've got refugees with us. We can't send them to the Alpha Site, and if we leave them here they'll be wiped out."

"Bring them with you," the general decided after a very brief pause. "Open the iris. All security teams at full alert, and send for medical teams," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," was the last message heard before the transmission ended.

A moment later the iris slid away to reveal a shimmering event horizon. It wasn't long before the placid surface was being disturbed by Lieutenant Matthew Jacobs of SG-5 followed by a large number of mud-covered people streaming through, some of them limping while children cried. Stray staff weapon blasts shot through as well, exploding against the wall opposite the gate and the protective glass of the control room. The chaos continued until the last of the refugees and the rest of SG-5 ran through, Byron shouting out the order to close the iris. Once it was closed, only the quieting sobs of some of the new arrivals broke the sudden silence.

"Now that we're all safe, I'd like to welcome you to Earth," the general's gentle voice came over the gateroom's speakers. "My name is General George Hammond, and I'm the leader of this facility. Our people," he continued as Janet and her staff hurried into the crowded space, "will be checking all of you out and taking care of any injuries or illnesses you might have. Please follow Doctor Fraiser's instructions and everything will be just fine. Doctor," he concluded, handing over control of the situation to his capable CMO.

Janet immediately issued orders, her people taking the most seriously hurt visitors to the infirmary first. A schedule was quickly set up to allow the newcomers access to the base showers, samples taken of the mud that covered them in case it would end up being needed. Sam watched the orderly emptying of the gateroom, then turned to face the general. "If the Goa'uld are laying waste to these people's home planet, we're going to have to find them another home," the major declared. "I can talk with some of them, find out the parameters I'll need for a search."

Hammond nodded. "Do that. I don't believe they're any threat, but it would be best to make their transition as fast and smooth as possible. Let me know what you find out."

"Yes, sir," Sam said, then left the control room after giving instructions on how to complete her preliminary dialing computer scan. Sam made a quick stop at the VIP room to check up on a still-sleeping Danny before deciding to hunt down SG-5 to hear their version of what had happened during their abbreviated mission. She found them in the infirmary, their post-mission exams being taken care of by Janet's nurses, the doctor in charge focusing her attention on the seriously injured refugees. The blonde major approached Lieutenant Colonel Byron as he sat on his infirmary bed, having waded through dirt-saturated people to get there.

"Major Carter," Byron greeted her with a weary smile. "Come to ask about our visitors?"

"Good guess," Sam replied, smiling in return. "I'm still probably going to end up interviewing some of the refugees, but I figured I'd come to you first, since you'll have a better idea what information I need. General Hammond authorized me to find these people a new planet to settle on, and I need to know what kind of world they came from. You were there for a while before the Goa'uld attacked, right?"

"A few hours, yeah. But that won't do you any good, Major. The refugees came running through the gate twenty minutes before the attack, at the most a half hour. We were just trying to sort things out with them when the first death glider did a fly-by." Byron shrugged. "I'm pretty sure they had just escaped from a massive flood."

Blonde brows creased. "Pretty sure?"

Byron shrugged. "Like I said, we were trying to sort things out with them. Most of them were scared and panicked; I guess a group of children were almost lost when the wind started blowing waves onto the high ground around the Stargate where they'd taken refuge. That's the only thing we could get out of them before the attack."

Sam shook her head in surprise at the unexpected tale. "Well, I guess that explains the mud," she commented somewhat slowly, gathering her wits.

Byron nodded. "Most of it. I'm sure some of it's from the explosions during the attack."

"What about their injuries? Do you know when they got them?"

"Some of them they came though with. The rest came from the energy blasts and the chaos that went with them. Honestly, I'm surprised we didn't lose more than we did. It was nasty."

"Luck was on our side today, I guess." Sam took a deep breath and glanced around the infirmary where the medical staff was keeping the curtains drawn between the beds to preserve the off-world visitors' unknown level of modesty. "I'd better go out where the rest of the refugees are waiting and do a little asking around. If they're still too shaken up, I'll have to wait until later."

Byron nodded his approval. "Good luck, Major."

Sam gave him a small smile. "Thank you, sir. And I'm glad SG-5 came back in one piece." With that she gave him a quick nod and headed for the hallway outside the infirmary.


	11. Chapter 11a

Author's Notes: This chapter was too big to be uploaded in one piece, so I did it in two. I tried to keep it the same length as the rest of my chapters, but I didn't want to cut off anything. Thus, this monster. ;) Enjoy!

* * *

After another check on Danny, Sam returned to the infirmary to interview some of the refugees as she'd discussed with Lieutenant Colonel Byron. She made a pass through the thinning throng, her few probing questions to the people she encountered telling her they weren't quite ready yet for an analytical discussion of the planet they'd come from. She still made sure they were doing fine, and reassured them the personnel at the SGC would do everything possible to ensure their comfort and safety.

Janet walked up to the main staging area as Sam finished her circuit, and immediately came over to her friend. "How are they doing?" the doctor asked, looking around at the crowd that surrounded them.

"They're still pretty shaken up, nervous about their new surroundings and worried about their friends and families," Sam replied. "I was going to ask them some questions about their original home, so I could start a search for a new one in our database, but I don't think they're quite ready for that."

Janet gestured for the taller woman to follow her into the examination room proper. "I'm not surprised," she said as they walked. "To have your life uprooted like that..." She shook her head. "They've been very brave, all of them. Every one of them completely cooperative, as much as they're able. I wish I got that kind of attitude from the people I normally treat."

Sam laughed. "You wouldn't know what to do with us if we gave it to you. So, how serious did things get?"

"Well, we have one man in surgery; Doctor Warner is handling that. We kept a woman from going into premature labor, and I just finished setting a little girl's leg. Everything's in control on that end, so I thought I'd come back here and help move things along as much as I can." She paused as she saw a nurse gesture to her from the end of the makeshift white cloth hallway in the examination room. "Oh, I hope we didn't just grow an emergency in here," she moaned as she hurried along, Sam in her wake. "The potential for a panic is too large to ignore."

"And impossible to avoid," Sam added.

"What have you got, Lieutenant?" Janet asked as she reached the last bed on the left side of the room.

The nurse handed over a medical chart. "The patient has a cut along the hairline above the left eye. I cleaned it up and examined it, and I don't think it needs stitches, but you should probably double check just to be sure."

Janet nodded at the brunette then gave Sam a wry smile. "I guess I'll start back here and work my way forward. Wait here. I shouldn't be too long." Sam nodded, and the petite doctor went behind the curtain.

As the auburn-haired woman closed the white divider behind herself, she looked over the lieutenant's notations on the clipboard. "Hi there," she greeted her patient cheerfully, stepping over to the side of the bed with only the briefest glance and smile at the man seated on the mattress. She noted that his face was covered in mud and blood, completely obscuring his features, the only clear spot the skin around the cut on his forehead. "My name is Doctor Fraiser. I know that Nurse Williams has examined you, but I'm going to make double sure that your cut is nothing serious then bandage you up."

She turned around and found the man had brought a hand up and was fingering the recently-cleaned wound, blocking the view of his face. "Now, now," she chided, pulling his hand away and taking a closer look at his forehead. "No getting it dirty before I've had my chance at it." A brief examination reassured her and she smiled. "Nurse Williams had it right. I'll just swab it one more time, patch it up with some butterfly bandages, and it should be fine." Janet reached over and grabbed what she needed, performing her tasks quickly. "There you go."

"Thank you," the man said quietly as Janet finished making her own notations to his chart.

The sound of his voice made Janet turn around to give her patient one last reassuring smile, something about it striking a chord deep within her. But her expression froze halfway to completion when she met the bright blue gaze of the man before her. She knew those eyes. She knew them very well.

Or believed she did. Recovering her wits quickly, Janet widened her smile. "If you could just wait here a second, I'll be right back." She turned around and left the screened-off station.

"Come in here," Janet whispered intensely once she was clear of the curtain, grabbing Sam's arm and pulling at her.

"Wait a second," Sam hissed back, digging in her heels. "What's going on?"

"You said you needed to interview one of the refugees, right?" One more tug had the taller woman moving into the examination area.

Sam practically bit her tongue to keep from snapping a sarcastic retort at her friend as she caught her balance. She did spare the shorter woman a wicked glare, though, before straightening with a welcoming smile. Like the good doctor before her, however, she froze when she met the patient's confusion-tinged gaze. Her face fell, she sucked in a sharp breath, and her eyes opened impossibly wide, not a single word leaving her lips.

It was the response Janet had been expecting. She mentally pulled on her physician's cloak, knowing she couldn't afford the luxury of emotions right now. She then gave Sam a sharp nudge to the ribs with her elbow. There was no need to panic the patient, after all.

It was enough to snap Sam back to reality. She pulled herself together as fast as she could, and, blinking furiously, put the smile back on her face. "Um, hi there," she said to the man staring at her in wary surprise. "I, um..." Words failed her as she continued to look into the familiar eyes and a wave a pain washed over her when she didn't see an ounce of recognition in the blue depths. Straightening completely, she continued. "My name is Major Samantha Carter," she said reassuringly. "I'm just here to check up on you."

"Okay," the man said slowly, his form gradually relaxing as the two women began acting closer to normal.

"Actually," Sam continued with a brief look at Janet, "I was wondering about your people and the planet you originally came from. I'll be looking for a new home for you all, and it would be best if it was as close to the original as possible."

"Before we worry about that," Janet interrupted, "why don't I have one of my nurses show you to the infirmary showers so you can clean up? It can't be comfortable sitting there in all that dirt."

The man smiled, and both women felt their heart clench at the sight. "Thank you, that _would_ be nice."

The majors looked at one another. "I don't believe I caught your name," Sam said after a moment.

He looked surprised. "Oh, yes, of course. My name is Arrom."

"All right then, Arrom," Janet said quickly to cover up the grief she saw flash through Sam's eyes and even felt herself deep inside. She went over to a metal storage cabinet in the corner and pulled out a set of folded white scrubs. "Here's something for you to wear after you've finished your shower. The nurse I'll send over will make sure you have a towel and the other accessories you'll need. When you're finished, I'll have her escort you back here so you and Major Carter can talk in private. Will that be all right?"

"That should be fine, Doctor Fraiser. Thank you again."

"You're welcome," she said in return, then led Sam away from the bed and the curtains that surrounded it. She quickly flagged down a nurse and gave her instructions. Once the woman walked away to take care of her newly-assigned tasks, Janet led Sam to her office and locked the door behind them.

Sam collapsed into one of the chairs facing the desk. "That's Daniel," she said breathlessly. "I don't care what he says his name is, that's Daniel!"

Janet nodded slowly and sat behind the desk. "At first glance, I agree with you." she said.

"I just wish I knew why he doesn't remember us. Do you think whatever caused that cut gave him amnesia?"

"It's a pretty minor cut, Sam, with no sign of concussion," Janet refuted. "While I won't say it's outside the realm of possibility, things like a little bump on the head causing complete amnesia is more for fiction than reality. It's something else."

"But what?" Sam threw herself to her feet and began to pace. "This doesn't make any sense." She stopped in her tracks. "Oh my God, everyone's going to freak out when they hear about this!" she exclaimed. "Things are going to get even crazier around here than they already are!"

"Calm down, Sam, I already thought of that. That's why I picked Nurse Williams to take care of him. She was only assigned here four months ago, so she wouldn't know Daniel on sight. We just got lucky she's the one who took care of him to begin with."

Sam blew out an explosive breath. "No kidding."

Janet shrugged. "I'll take a blood sample later and do a DNA test. That should give us _some_ answers at least."

Sam sat back down again and ran a hand through her short blonde locks. "It really hurt to have him look at me and not have him know me, Janet," she whispered, her gaze dropping to her lap. "He was gone, and I've been so scared that something happened to him so that I'd never see him again, that there wouldn't be anything _to_ see."

"Oh, Sam, I know. I know exactly how you feel. I just can't let myself feel it right now so I can keep everything under control out there." Janet's chocolate brown eyes were filled with pain and sympathy. "You'll get some answers when you talk to him after his shower, we all will."

"I need to tell Teal'c and the colonel," Sam said, suddenly bringing her head back up. "And General Hammond needs to know."

"Let's wait until you talk with him. If it turns out this really is just a freakish cosmic coincidence, you'll have riled everyone up for nothing."

Sam nodded, the motion a little jerky. "Right, right. Of course. I'll wait. Do you think he's done yet?"

Janet gave a short laugh. "Considering the amount of mud on him, no. I'll go check, though." She stood and headed for the door. "And Sam?" she said in the doorway once she'd opened it.

"Yeah?" Sam replied.

"One way or the other, things will be fine. Just remember the positives of the situation."

"I'm too scared to hope," Sam admitted quietly, then shrugged and motioned for Janet to go.

A few minutes later, Janet returned and told Sam Arrom was just about finished. The two of them went back to the sectioned-off bed where they'd originally come across him just after he'd reseated himself. Now clean, his resemblance to Daniel Jackson couldn't be denied. "Hello again," he greeted them quietly. "That shower was just what I needed. Thank you." He gave them a small smile.

Janet returned it while Sam struggled to keep her expression at least light. "I'm glad," the auburn-haired physician said.

Arrom took a deep breath and released it, giving Sam an expectant look. "I think I'm ready to answer your questions now. How can I help you?"

"Well, I suppose a good place to start would be for you to describe your home planet, what kind of vegetation grows there, how long the seasons are, the ranges of temperatures, those kinds of things," Sam said, hiding her jumbled emotions behind a friendly, inquisitive tone, the logistics of assimilating the information she was asking for her only defense.

"I see," Arrom said slowly, his eyes dropping to his lap for a moment. When he brought his gaze back up it was filled with apology. "I guess I won't be able to help you as much as I was hoping to. I, uh, I've only been with Shamda's people for two moons. I could describe the village they lived in, and the surrounding ruins and landscape, but not the rest of the details you're looking for. I'm sorry."

Sam and Janet shared a look. "Two moons? Where were you before that?" the physicist asked.

Arrom hesitated, then sighed. "I don't know," he said simply. "I'm afraid I don't remember anything before waking up in the ruins outside of Shamda's village. The people there were kind enough to take me in."

Hope flared up in Sam's heart despite herself. "Really? You don't remember anything?"

"Nothing." A desperate look transformed his features. "I've tried. I've tried so hard. Sometimes it feels like everything's right in front of me, but when I reach out it just... disappears." His shoulders sagged as he released a puff of air loudly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be thrusting my personal problems on you, especially after everything you and the rest of the people here have done for us."

"No, don't say that," Sam said quickly. "I _want_ to help you, I do. Maybe there's a way..."

"I can do a more thorough examination and see if there's a medical reason for your amnesia," Janet interrupted before Sam made a promise there was no way to be sure they could keep. "Would that be all right?"

Arrom nodded. "It can't hurt. Thank you very much. I know how busy you and your people are."

Janet smiled. "It's not a problem. Let me take a few blood samples and I can get things going."

"Maybe you can still help," Sam said as Janet began her work. "Why don't you tell me what happened to make you and Shamda's people leave your planet? As long as it doesn't disturb you too much, that is." She shrugged apologetically.

"No, I've had time to calm down, put things in perspective. I didn't really lose that much, after all." Arrom sighed. "It all started about two weeks ago. It was raining off and on for days, sudden heavy rainstorms that had everything a muddy quagmire. The villagers said they had gone through weather spurts like that before, though, so I didn't concern myself with it too much. But then the real rains came, I'd say a week ago. It never stopped. The only respite we had was when the downpour lightened to a drizzle for a time, but the deluge always started again. The spotty storms we had before that had saturated the ground, and the village was in a shallow valley. It didn't take long for the water to start to rise."

"When did you head for higher ground?" Sam asked softly, imagining the situation the villagers had found themselves in.

Arrom considered it. "Well, at first the water tried to head down to the river that flows nearby, but then the river flooded as well. We headed to the Chappa'ai, the only high ground we could get to in the storm, about two and a half days ago."

Sam nodded. "And hoped that the rain would stop so the water level would drop back to normal."

The brown-haired man sighed again. "Exactly. But the storm only got worse. The winds picked up and caused waves that crashed into what makeshift shelters we'd been able to construct. When one of those waves nearly washed away a large group of villagers, including nine children, the decision was made to use the Chappa'ai and leave. The evacuation was chaotic, and when we finally started to think we were safe on the new planet, the Goa'uld attack happened and we were brought here." His bright blue eyes caught and held Sam's own. "These people are nomads, but this is still devastating for them. Wherever they end up, they're going to have to start over and reaccustom themselves to a new environment."

"_They_ are?" Janet asked as she completed the labeling of the vials of blood, catching the exclusion of himself from the sentiment. Arrom only shrugged and looked away.

"Well, I think that tells me a lot," Sam said after a moment. She paused as Janet finished gathering what she needed for the tests she had in mind. "I suppose we can get going and, uh, give you some time to yourself. After all this chaos, you could probably use it."

"I'll arrange for a room where you can stay," Janet added. "I'll let you know what I find out as soon as I can."

Arrom's eyes darted between the two women briefly, then he nodded. "All right. I'll be glad for a chance to rest."

Janet smiled. "Then we'll talk to you later. Just wait here, and someone will come and escort you to your room soon." She gestured to Sam, and the two of them left the cubicle.

* * *

"If I wait any longer to tell him, the colonel's going to kill me," Sam said twenty minutes later after Janet had taken Arrom's blood samples to the lab with orders that she would be the one processing them. The doctor had also been asked to check on another patient, but it turned out the nomad woman's odd symptoms had come about due to the delayed arrival of her menstrual cycle.

"I'm not saying to not tell him, Sam. But what about General Hammond?"

Sam sighed. "I think Colonel O'Neill deserves to be told first. Probably Teal'c, too. We're more than just teammates, Janet, you know that. They need to know first."

Janet stared at her for a moment then nodded. "I know," she agreed softly. "Tell your team. Let Colonel O'Neill come and see him for himself. Then we can tell General Hammond."

Sam smiled, relieved. "Thanks, Janet." Her expression turned teasing. "Although I think I'm going to tell the colonel what to expect before he gets down here. I can't believe you just dragged me in there without any warning!"

"I wanted your instinctual response," Janet replied with a shrug, unrepentant. "Now go get your team. I don't think we should put it off any longer."

It wasn't long before Sam was standing nervously in front of her team commander's office door. With one last deep breath, she knocked, entering when she was commanded to do so. "Hi, Colonel," she greeted the man within, smiling slightly as she closed the door behind herself.

"Carter," Jack returned with a nod. "What can I do for you?"

"I've just come from the infirmary. I was going to interview some of the refugees to find out what kind of planet to keep in mind for their relocation."

"Yeah, I heard. Byron told me you talked to him about SG-5's mission, and of course Hammond mentioned what you were doing." He raised his eyebrows curiously. "What did you come up with?"

Sam licked her lips. "Well, I'm sure you've heard that the refugees didn't come from P6C-297 originally," she began.

Jack nodded. "That was Byron's big surprise at SG-5's debriefing, yeah. What did our visitors have to say about it?"

"I thought that most of them were still too shaken up to interview properly when I talked with them, actually. I'm probably going to have wait another day or so to avoid distressing them too much." Sam swallowed hard, finding it difficult to say what she needed to say.

"I notice you say most of them', Carter," Jack said, his eyes narrowing as he picked up on her hesitant attitude. "What did you find out up there?"

Sam licked her lips again. "When Janet was through treating the more serious injuries, she was asked to check a cut on the forehead of one of the refugees. I waited outside for her to finish; we'd been talking before that. She suddenly came out and dragged me behind the curtains they've drawn around each of the beds, without a word of explanation why. When I got in there and I saw her patient..." Her words choked off for a moment and her eyes locked with Jack's. "Sir, I saw his eyes and heard his voice. And when he came back after taking a shower it was even more apparent... Sir, Daniel's in the infirmary."

Jack's expression turned suspicious. "The kid's sick again?" he asked.

The major could see the man was being deliberately obtuse. "Not Danny, sir. Daniel. Daniel Jackson. From all appearances he's retaken human form and is sitting on a bed in the infirmary."

"He's here?" Jack asked, hardly able to let himself believe it. "He's solid?"

"Janet took blood samples," Sam said simply.

"Let's go," Jack said shortly, jumping to his feet and taking a few steps toward the door.

Sam reached out and grabbed his arm before he could go too far. "Colonel, wait. There's something you should know." She waited until his brown gaze met her blue-grey one before she let go of him and continued. "He says his name is Arrom. He doesn't remember anything before waking up on the refugees' home planet two months ago."

Jack blinked a few times. "Well, the timing's right."

"I thought of that. But you can't go barging in there, telling him who we think he is and what his past is supposed to be. He doesn't know anything about our suspicions. Considering everything he said he's been through over the past two weeks, especially the last couple of days, telling him he might be our lost teammate might be overwhelming." Sam gave him a pleading look, seeing a tightening around his eyes that spoke of a growing anger. "Janet has blood samples. Let her check the DNA and confirm our suspicions. That way we'll know for sure before we disrupt anybody's life any more than it already has been."

Jack gave her a hard stare, his mouth drawn in a thin, stiff line. Sam never flinched, knowing she was right. Finally, the man released an explosive breath, his muscles relaxing and a flash of hurt rippling across his features before he got himself back under control. "All right, Carter," he said in a low voice. "I'll keep it under wraps. But I want to see him."

Sam smiled. "Of course, sir. That's why I told you."

He nodded. "Thanks, Sam. That means a lot." He took a deep breath and released it. "Well, let's get going. I've got a potential resurrection to witness." The two of them strode purposefully out of the office.

* * *

Janet saw the two military members of SG-1 walk into her infirmary and moved to meet them. "He's this way," she said shortly, knowing from the expression on Jack's face that Sam had told him what he needed to know.

Jack nodded sharply. "Lead the way, Doc. I have to see him."

"I know," she said, relieved, knowing by the use of his nickname for her that he hadn't retreated into the emotionless shell he'd constructed after Daniel's ascension nor the angry self-recrimination he'd experienced after SG-1 discovered that Anubis had destroyed Abydos. "Now, I've set aside Isolation Room 3 for him, and any personnel who might know him on sight have been given tasks that will keep them out of the infirmary for at least a half hour. I want to move him with as little possibility for recognition as we can." The other two nodded their agreement.

"Remember what I told you," Sam whispered as the three of them approached Arrom's bed.

"Yeah, yeah," Jack said dismissively, then stepped through the curtain, both women immediately behind him.

Arrom had been examining the medical instruments on the cart beside the bed when his visitors appeared, causing him to turn his head suddenly to look at them. He gave them a very small smile. "Doctor Fraiser, Major Carter," he greeted the pair he had already met. He gazed at Jack curiously.

Jack felt like he'd been sucker punched in the stomach. "Daniel?" he asked involuntarily, his eyes widening. Arrom's expression changed to confusion.

Janet quickly stepped forward, disguising an elbow to the silver-haired man's ribs with the motion. "This is Colonel O'Neill, Arrom," she said in the friendly, almost clinical tone she tended to use with foreign visitors to her domain, ignoring the glare said colonel gave her. "He's second in command here. We have your room ready if you'd like to settle in."

"That would be fine," Arrom replied as he stood, his eyes continually flickering to Jack and his stern expression and pained eyes.

"All right, let's go," Jack declared, stepping forward and grabbing the patient's arm. He led the other man a bit forcefully toward the isolation rooms. Sam and Janet shared an exasperated look before following closely.

"What's wrong with you?" Arrom asked Jack once the isolation room door closed behind the quartet. He jerked his arm away and stepped back toward the bed.

Jack sighed and looked away. "Nothing. I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rough."

Janet cleared her throat as the younger man just shook his head and stared at the colonel. "I'd like to apologize as well. This isn't how I planned things to go."

Arrom waved a dismissive hand, finally tearing his eyes away from Jack and turning to face the bed. "I'm fine. But I think I should get some rest. It's been a long day."

"You're right," Janet agreed. "Go ahead and lie down. If you need anything, just press the call button next to the bed." She pointed to a panel on the wall. "The green button. Either Nurse Williams or myself will take care of it. You can find extra blankets in the cabinet near the door if you need them."

"Thank you," Arrom said, glancing at the auburn-haired woman over his shoulder. His glance flickered over to Sam for a moment, and he gave her a brief smile when he saw her concern.

"Have a good rest," the blonde said. "We'll leave you to it." At his nod, she opened the door. Jack was the first one to leave, never looking back, and Janet followed, Sam right behind her.

Janet gave the colonel a stern look once the three of them were in the hallway. "I'm not going to go into it here, Colonel O'Neill, but suffice to say I'm not happy with the way you handled that."

Jack stiffened and glared at her. "Join the club, Doc."

Sam frowned. "What happened?"

"I know you told me what to expect, Carter, but when I really saw it..." He sighed, relaxing his tense muscles somewhat. "I guess I didn't believe it until I saw it, and it was overwhelming. I know that doesn't excuse it, but it's all I got."

"I don't think there's any permanent harm done," Janet said. "Now we need to tell General Hammond."

"I'll arrange a meeting. Carter, you get Jonas and Teal'c."

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. I should also check on Danny. It's been a while."

Jack gave her a lopsided smirk. "Yeah, do that. This just makes that experience all the weirder, you know."

The blonde shrugged, smiling. "Just par for the course around here, sir."

"Ain't that the truth. Go on, Carter. You coming, Doc?"

"Just let me get his file. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

* * *

Danny was awake by the time Sam returned to the VIP room, sitting at the table reading one of the children's books he'd received from Siler a couple of days earlier. He looked up when his guardian entered the room and gave her a smile. "Hi, Sam," he greeted her quietly.

Sam couldn't help but return the expression, happy and a little surprised by his initiating the exchange. "Hey, Danny. How are you?"

"I'm fine. You weren't here when I woke up, so I started reading like you told me to." There was a tentativeness in his admission that sought out approval for his actions.

"That's wonderful," Sam praised him, inwardly flinching at the necessity. She glanced at her watch and sighed. "I'm afraid I can't stay long. A situation's come up that I have to help deal with. SG-5 brought a village of refugees here to escape a Goa'uld attack," here Danny's eyes grew large, "and one of them looks like a... lost member of the SGC. I, uh, have to help investigate things since he doesn't remember who he really is." Her eyes dropped to where her fingers were lacing and unlacing against her stomach. She couldn't tell the boy it might be her former teammate. It would be like tempting fate to take Daniel away again.

Danny watched her for a long, silent moment. "You think you know him, don't you? I mean, really know him."

Sam's gaze jerked upward at the unexpected insight. "Uh, well..." She took a deep breath. "Yes, I do. I... hope it's who I think it is, but I can't jump to any conclusions."

Danny smiled again. "I hope he's your friend," he said simply.

"Oh, Danny." Sam crouched down next to the boy's chair and hugged him. "It's times like this that I'm reminded how much I love you."

"You love me?" Danny asked with a gasp, his embrace tightening.

Sam pulled back to arm's length and gave him a shaky smile, her eyes watery with sudden tears. "You bet I do. You are so special; how could I not love you?"

Danny stared at her, dumbfounded. "But what does it feel like to love me?"

The woman's smile widened. "Oh, Danny, I don't know if I can describe it. You... make me feel good inside, and I just want to make sure that you're safe and happy and everything else a child should be."

"So love is a good thing?"

"It's a wonderful thing," Sam declared with a little laugh. "I told you before that I care about you. Love is just caring about you a lot more." She sighed, still smiling. "When Sabrina gets here, I'll see if she can describe things better than that. I haven't always been good at dealing with emotions."

"Oh," Danny said softly, turning contemplative, his gaze dropping to the table.

Sam lifted his head with a gentle finger, a little worried about how he was taking her inadvertent admission. "Are you okay, Danny?"

The neutral ruminative expression on his face reassured her he wasn't reacting negatively, whatever he was thinking. "I'm okay. I... I think I like that you care about me so much. I just... don't remember being cared about before."

"I can understand that. I'm sorry if I confused you."

"You said you cared about me before," Danny said with a shake of his head. "I didn't know you could care about me more." He marked the page then closed his book. The boy looked at Sam again. "May I lay down again until supper?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," Sam said gently, with understanding. She'd just rocked his world, and he needed to think about it. She'd have to let Sabrina know as soon as she arrived in an hour or so. "You lie down. I have to go to a meeting. I'll come back as soon as I'm done and we'll have supper." Danny just nodded and headed for the bed. Sam helped him get under the covers and, with one last kiss to the forehead, left to gather her teammates.


	12. Chapter 11b

"So, this man doesn't know about your suspicions?" General Hammond asked after everyone had gathered in the briefing room and he, Teal'c and Jonas had been filled in on the situation.

"No, sir," Janet replied. "I thought it best to wait until we had more proof than just a physical resemblance."

"He doesn't just look like Daniel," Jack protested. "That's his voice, too. Not to mention his attitude."

Janet gave him a look. "I understand that, Colonel, but it's still not real proof. I've taken blood samples, and I'll check Arrom's DNA to see if it matches Daniel Jackson's."

Jonas gave her a confused look. "Didn't you say before that can take twenty-four to thirty-six hours minimum?"

"Can we keep him in the dark and under wraps that long?" Jack asked.

"I have a solution for that," Janet said. "We have the device we were given by the people of P7T-923. We don't use it for anything other than the most important cases, due to the limited power source, but I think this qualifies. I can have an answer in around an hour."

"Do it," Hammond ordered, nodding his approval.

Jonas looked around the table. "Assuming the DNA is a match, how do we explain this? How did Doctor Jackson get to the refugees' planet?"

"We know that someone who's ascended can choose to retake human form. Something's happened to him to cause amnesia," Sam said.

"I don't think it's as simple as that, Sam," Janet refuted. "But let's look at this logically. Assuming it _is_ Daniel, what could have happened to make him forget?"

Sam took a deep breath and considered it. "Well, when we saw him on Abydos, he did say that he was breaking some pretty big rules. Maybe his memory loss is punishment for trying to help us fight Anubis."

Jonas nodded. "That does make sense."

Sam blew out a breath loudly. "Well, I think the other option here, if it isn't Daniel, is that we've miraculously stumbled across Daniel's twin. I mean, I know they say that everyone has someone out there that's their exact double, but still..."

"There is another possibility," Teal'c interjected. "This man could be a clone and the original Daniel Jackson was not available to retrieve memories from."

"Your little Daniel is proof of that theory, Sam, except for the age," Janet added.

"What could somebody gain from that?" Jack protested. "How could someone benefit from making a clone of Daniel and then leaving him with a tribe of nomads on a backwater planet?"

Everyone shared a look. "That is a valid point," Hammond said.

Sam frowned. "I suppose his appearance on the refugees' planet could have been an accident or a mistake," she said dubiously. "But that doesn't seem very likely."

"So how can we determine if he's a clone?" Jonas asked. "Sam's Daniel is genetically identical to Doctor Jackson, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Janet confirmed. "We also know the technology is out there. Look at the Asgard for example." She shrugged.

"So how about we call up Thor and see if he can tell the difference?" Jack suggested.

"Perhaps the Tok'ra would have knowledge of this as well," Teal'c added.

Hammond nodded. "Those are both viable options. I'll send messages as soon as Doctor Fraiser has her results."

Jack glanced around. "So what do we do in the meantime? If Fraiser's tests come back positive, what do we do?"

Sam pursed her lips. "I think we should tell him what we know. He deserves to know, and maybe we can help him get his memories back."

"Assuming he's the original," Jonas added.

"Of course," Sam agreed.

"That should be fine," Janet said, "but I'd recommend not telling him too much. I'll double check with the psychiatric staff, but I believe it's best for someone to remember most things on their own if at all possible."

"I believe we've exhausted our options at the moment, unless anyone has something to add?" Hammond asked, looking around the table. No one said anything. "Then let's get what answers we can, people. Dismissed."

* * *

Sabrina Marconi was waiting for them when they left the briefing room. "I was told you were in a meeting when I got here," she said to Sam. "Must be something big if you held it this late."

"You could say that," Jack replied.

"Is it anything I need to know about?"

Sam shared a look with Janet. "We don't know yet," the blonde said. "Janet has to run some tests."

Sabrina nodded. "Fair enough. I also hear you have visitors. Why don't we grab Daniel and head for the commissary for supper, and you guys tell me what you can? This sounds interesting." She smiled, her eyes twinkling.

Janet's smile in return was filled with regret. "I'd love to join you, but I really need to run those tests right away." She looked at the members of SG-1. "I'll let you know as soon as I have the results."

"Talk to you then, Doc," Jack said, dismissing her. She nodded and headed for the elevator.

"The rest of us can go to dinner, though, right?" Jonas asked.

"Why not?" Jack answered, shrugging. Sabrina stared at him when she heard the extreme effort behind the casual tone.

Teal'c gave a solemn nod. "I, too, will accompany you."

Sam grabbed Sabrina's arm as the group began to head out. "I need to talk to you alone for a minute first." She looked at her teammates. "We'll meet you in the commissary. We won't be long."

"Sure, Sam," Jonas said with a smile. "We'll make sure there's blue Jell-O for you."

"Thanks," Sam said wryly, chuckling slightly. The two groups then went their separate ways.

* * *

An hour or so later, SG-1 had gathered in the observation deck above Arrom's isolation room, hidden by a large two-way mirror, while Sabrina had her weekly session with Danny. "And don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him once we've finished with all that clinical stuff," the psychologist had said with a smile after supper. "You just do what you need to do."

Sam thought of the tentative smile Sabrina's wording had brought to Danny's face, and knew she was leaving him in good hands, even as she looked down on the man who might be her friend and teammate returned to flesh and blood. Arrom was wandering around the room, examining the medical equipment. From time to time he released soul-deep sighs, his expression turning pained for a moment. The team watching could only guess at what he was thinking.

They hadn't been there very long when Janet joined them. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"I don't think he knows what to do with himself," Sam said, standing with Jonas and Teal'c behind the seats at the counter, her eyes not leaving the form below.

"I take it you've got something for us, Doc?" Jack asked, getting straight to the point from his seat in front of one of the inactive microphones.

Janet nodded. "I've already told General Hammond. Arrom's DNA matches Daniel Jackson's."

Silence received the news. "So that's probably Doctor Jackson," Jonas said finally, his voice barely audible.

"It appears so," Teal'c responded solemnly.

"What do we do now?" Jack asked.

"We should tell him," Sam said, hope flaring in her eyes. "Maybe just knowing will help him remember."

Janet sighed. "Sam, it may not be possible, for multiple reasons."

Sam looked at her. "I know. But I really think we need to try."

The doctor nodded. "Let me talk to him first. Each of you can speak with him - individually - when I'm finished. I don't want to overwhelm him. As it is, I expect him to have a hard time accepting this. I mean, to go from a simple, agrarian life to the technology-filled world he came running to..." She shook her head and sighed.

"Do it, Doc," Jack commanded quietly, his face a blank mask. "Let's see what we're dealing with."

"At least Janet has medical proof to back up what she's telling him," Sam said once the base CMO had gone.

"Well," Jonas began diffidently, "_we_ know she has proof. Who knows if he'll understand that proof is real? He's been living in a society at least a hundred years behind Earth's, technologically speaking anyway."

A flash of anger came and went in Jack's eyes. "Don't count him out yet," he grumbled. "Carter could be right and just telling him what we know will be enough to start him remembering." The colonel's teammates stared at him for a long, silent moment, hearing the lack of faith behind the words.

The echo of a knock and the opening of the door to the room below cut off any further conversation. SG-1 watched carefully as Janet entered Arrom's room and closed the door behind herself. She smiled at her patient, who stopped his wandering to look at her.

"Doctor Fraiser," he greeted her. "Is there something wrong? Nurse Williams was already here with my evening meal, and she took away the tray. The food was good."

"I'm glad to hear that, but that's not why I'm here," Janet replied, stepping over to the table beside the bed and setting down the folder she held. "Remember when I said I'd be running tests on the blood samples I took earlier?"

"You said you were hoping to find a reason for my amnesia, yes," Arrom answered.

Janet sighed and looked down at her feet for a moment. "I have to admit something to you," she said when she'd returned her gaze to his. "When I met your gaze after I bandaged your cut, your eyes seemed... very familiar to me. That's why I brought Major Carter in to see you so suddenly. I needed confirmation. When she reacted the way she did, I knew I had it. Your appearance after your shower, and the sound of your voice as you spoke with the major... it all just strengthened my suspicions."

Arrom's eyes narrowed. "What suspicions? You mean you think you know who I am?"

"I know I know who you are," Janet said firmly, gesturing to the folder on the table. "I truly have sent some of your blood samples to the lab to have various tests done that could provide answers as to the source of your loss of memory, but one sample I used to compare to a DNA profile I already had on file for a man who was declared missing in action a little over a year ago. According to the results, you are that man, Doctor Daniel Jackson." She straightened to her full height and waited for the man's reaction.

The brown-haired man stared at her, his eyes wide and his jaw slightly open. To say he was completely blown away was an understatement. "You... you found out who I am," he said finally, somewhat breathlessly.

Janet nodded carefully, trying to read the jumble of emotions churning across the man's features. "Yes, Daniel," she whispered. "And now you're home."

"I... I don't know what to say," Daniel replied, shaking his head.

"You really don't remember _anything_ from before two months ago?" Janet asked, her professional mask finally slipping a little and her hope shining through.

"Nothing specific," Daniel admitted, his gaze falling. "I got the impression that I should have known the language that was carved into the ruins Shamda's people were living in. I tried, I... kept trying to remember... something, anything. I'd come so close, and then it would just... disappear."

Janet's heart broke along with the members of SG-1's at the look of frustrated misery on Daniel's face. And then a thought occurred to her. "You believe me," she said, the phrase just as much a question as it was a statement.

Daniel hesitated, then nodded. "You said your test confirmed I was Daniel Jackson," he said quietly. "You don't have any reason to lie to me, nothing to gain that I can see. And..." he took a deep breath before continuing, "ever since I came here, a feeling of familiarity has come and gone. This place feels so much more... _right_ than the village ever did." He took another deep breath and turned away from both his known and unknown audiences. "I just... I don't... I don't know what to think. I... I don't know what to feel."

Janet sighed and decided to back off, not wanting to overwhelm her friend. "That's perfectly understandable, Daniel. I'll go now and give you a chance to think about what I've told you. But you should know that you were part of a team called SG-1, and the four of you were very close. When you're ready, I know your teammates would love to see you, to talk to you, maybe answer some of your questions. Just let me know if you'd like to see them."

"Do they... know I'm here?" The question was soft and vulnerable.

"Yes," Janet replied simply. "They know you can't remember, and they'll respect your space. However long it takes, they'll wait."

Daniel nodded, and his arms came up into a very familiar self-hug. "Thank you, Doctor Fraiser. I'll let you know. Tell the... members of SG-1..." He swallowed hard. "Tell them I'm sorry."

Janet blinked away the sudden tears that welled up in her eyes. "They know, Daniel. I promise they know, and they understand." She glanced at the mirrored wall. "They understand." When she saw a slight nod of acknowledgment, she silently left the room.

In the observation deck, Sam and Jonas shared a stricken look while Jack stared at the fisted hands in his lap and Teal'c continued to watch the confused man below, a suspicious moisture in his dark brown eyes. "He's... he's supposed to want to know all about himself," Sam whispered. "He's supposed to want to see us so we can tell him all about himself."

"That's a pipe dream, Carter," Jack said in a low voice, his eyes never lifting from his white-knuckled fists. "This is reality. He doesn't even know if he _wants_ to know us."

"Of that you cannot be certain, O'Neill," Teal'c said firmly. "Daniel Jackson has just been presented with the knowledge of his true identity. He does not have access to the memories that would make that knowledge a reality for him. He must be allowed time to adjust."

"And just how much time is that, Teal'c? How long is he going to reject us and what we can tell him? How long are those ascended glow worms going to win by him turning away from himself? And how long do we have to watch it happen?" Jack rose suddenly and walked quickly out of the room.

Sam choked back a sob as the door shut behind her team leader, and Jonas reached out to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze, his expression filled with guilt. Teal'c gazed on them both with infinite understanding, his nonverbal comfort almost palpable. Janet slipped in, her eyes widening as she immediately sensed the heavy atmosphere. "What's going on?" she asked, bewildered. "You're acting like Daniel's dead."

The astrophysicist turned to face her, blinking fiercely to keep control of the tears threatening to overwhelm her. "He almost is," she said softly. "If he doesn't remember, if he doesn't even try to remember..."

Janet sighed. "He's known who he really is for, what? Ten minutes? Give the man a little time to adjust before you write him off." She looked around. "Where's Colonel O'Neill?"

"He left," Jonas explained even more quietly than Sam had spoken before him.

"Well, that explains the prevailing attitude in here," Janet snapped, her features twisting into a mask of irritation. "I expected this from him, but I thought the rest of you knew better than that."

Teal'c's eyebrow rose. "You believe there is something positive in your interaction with Daniel Jackson?"

Janet pulled herself to her full height and pursed her lips. "Of course I do. When I told him who he was, he didn't reject it. He accepted what I told him was the truth. Now he just needs some time to get his mind around the fact that he really has an identity of his own, that he has a full life that he can return to. Give him some time, think positively, and he'll come around."

"Thank you, Janet," Sam said with a small smile. "I guess we needed that figurative slap in the face."

"I was just about ready to make it a literal one, and I might yet with Colonel Negativity. Now why don't the three of you call it an early night? This has been an emotional day."

The four of them left with one last, lingering glance down at Daniel, who was lying on his side under the covers of his bed, staring at the far wall. Yet again, they had no way of knowing what he was thinking. They weren't even sure if they wanted to know.

* * *

Sam returned to the VIP room she shared with Danny in a somber mood. She smiled at the greeting Sabrina gave her, her expression widening when she saw the small grin Danny wore when they made eye contact. "So, how did your evening go?" she asked as she joined the pair at the table, dropping into one of the chairs.

"We drew pictures," Sabrina told her, gesturing at a couple of pieces of paper with colored marks on them.

"That's great," Sam enthused. She met Danny's gaze as Sabrina shot her a worried look at her forced tone. "I'm very glad your night went well." The boy's grin widened for a moment then faded somewhat when he noticed the jumble of emotions in her eyes.

"Well, now that you're back, I suppose I should get going," the Italian woman declared after an awkward pause. "It was nice spending some extra time with you, Daniel," she said to the boy before meeting Sam's eyes. "Walk me to the elevator, would you?"

Sam gave a nod. "Sure," she agreed, fully aware of what was coming. "I'll be right back, Danny. We'll talk then." Danny swallowed a bit nervously, then it was his turn to nod.

Sabrina waited for the door to close behind her companion before looking at her with an arched eyebrow. "Okay, what happened? What has you so shaken up that you barely have it under control?"

The blonde woman sighed. "One of our visitors turned out to be Daniel returned to human form," she said softly, not looking at the psychologist.

"What?" Sabrina yelped in a choked whisper, remembering at the last second the boy on the other side of the door. "Daniel Jackson is back?" She shook her head in shock when she received a nod of confirmation. "What happened to him? Is he all right?"

"Except for a cut on his forehead near his hairline, he seems fine. He just... doesn't remember who he is. He has no memories of anything before two months ago." Sam's voice was even softer, a touch of dejection in it.

"Amnesia? Complete amnesia? Does Janet know what caused it?"

Sam shook her head. "Not right now. She said she still has more tests to run. We think it might be part of a punishment from the Others, the ascended Ancients. I'm not sure there's any way to know for certain." She sighed again.

Sabrina's brows furrowed. "There must be something positive going on, or you'd be in worse shape. What is it?"

Sam swallowed. "When Janet told him who he was, that she'd found out because of the DNA test she ran, he accepted it. He's still trying to wrap his mind around it all, obviously, but he's trying." She gave the other woman a shaky smile. "It just hurt when Janet told him about us and he didn't ask to see us, even when Janet said we were very close. I know he's still in shock and everything, and we have time... but it still hurt."

"I'm not surprised you're hurt, Sam. You and the other members of SG-1 have just gotten back a piece of your hearts. You want to reach out and embrace it, in a way put things back to the way you perceive they're supposed to be. When Doctor Jackson didn't just jump at the chance to claim that, well..." She shrugged.

"You're pretty quick," Sam said with a smile.

"I'm grasping at straws and making some lucky guesses based on what I know about human nature and what I read about the relationship SG-1 used to have," Sabrina said dismissively. "It's that relationship that made me worried about how your Daniel would be accepted, remember? And thinking of him, what are you going to tell him?"

Sam shook her head. "I don't have any idea, but I know I have to tell him something. I also have to come up with a way to explain Danny to Daniel."

Sabrina reached out and gave the other woman's arm a reassuring squeeze. "You don't have to come up with all the answers in the next couple of minutes, remember that. The world's not at stake, not even your personal one. Say what comes naturally. Your instincts have been good so far. As for Doctor Jackson, you can put that off until he's ready to deal with it. Like you said before, you've got time. Don't rush things." Her arm dropped away as she smiled. "Now really walk me to the elevator."

"Thank you for the talk," Sam said as they walked down the hall. "I needed it."

"I'm glad I could help." An impish glint came into Sabrina's sapphire blue eyes. "Hey, I got to find out what your late meeting was all about. Maybe not all the details, but still..." They both laughed. "I will want to hear those sometime soon, since I think this is going to be pretty big in the long run for Daniel, but it doesn't have to be right away. Get yourselves a bit more settled with the situation, and then we'll talk. Unless you or any of the others need to do it sooner, that is." Her smile turned gentle and understanding.

"I'll keep that in mind," Sam said as they reached the elevator. "We'll see you soon."

Sabrina shrugged as the silver doors opened and she stepped inside the empty car. "You bet you will. I wouldn't miss this for the world." She gave Sam a wink, then the doors slid shut to end the conversation.

Sam stared at the closed doors for a long moment, gathering her courage to go back to her room and answer the questions she knew her young ward had. She finally went back, composure in place, to find Danny sitting at the table exactly as she had left him, right down to the slightly worried expression. "Waiting for me, huh?" she asked, surprised at the tiny quiver in her voice.

"Yes," Danny whispered, glancing down for a moment then bringing his eyes back up right away. "Did something bad happen?"

"Well, I... I don't think I'd put it that way," Sam stuttered. Thrown into the light of a small child's perception, she finally truly believed what Janet had been trying to get SG-1 to understand. She smiled a true smile for the first time since her auburn-haired friend had yanked her into Daniel's presence. "No, nothing bad happened. In fact, something very good happened. My friend Daniel came back when we were expecting that he never would. He's in an isolation room in the infirmary right now."

"Is he sick?"

Sam shook her head. "He has a cut on his forehead, but nothing too serious. Janet just wanted to make sure he was okay and that he had some privacy."

Danny cocked his head to the side. "Is this the man that you told me about before? The lost member of the SGC?"

"Yes, he is," Sam confirmed, her smile growing wider. "There are a few things we have to work through yet, but everything should be just fine."

"What things?"

"He doesn't have his memory," Sam explained. "He only remembers the last two months."

Danny frowned. "He doesn't remember anything else?"

Sam shook her head. "No, nothing before then. We're hoping that being in a familiar place will help him remember."

Danny nodded his understanding then hesitated slightly. "Is he going to come here to talk to you?" he asked, fear a definite undertone.

"Probably not for a while," Sam said soothingly. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him since Janet told him who he really was. I'm going to wait until he wants to talk to me, and then I'll go to him in his room."

"Okay," Danny said in a whisper, his eyes dropping to the tabletop.

"Danny," Sam said softly, raising his head with a gentle finger under his chin, "you should know that my friend Daniel used to be a member of SG-1. We lost him after a mission a little over a year ago. Now he's back."

Danny's eyes grew large. "He's part of SG-1?"

Sam laughed. "Yes, he is. He'll always be a part of SG-1."

It shouldn't have been possible for the boy's eyes to get any bigger, but they did as a realization struck him. "He's the person that lit up and floated away after you went to Kelowna and found the naquadria," he said in awe. "He was sick, then he lit up and floated away."

"Um, yeah," Sam said, shocked to the core. The people at the lab had told the children about that? "And now he's back. He... tried to help us fight Anubis right before we came to the lab and found you, and the other..." she struggled to find a term he'd understand, "lit up people didn't like it. We think they made him come back and took away his memories."

"That was mean," Danny said, his brows furrowing.

"Yes, it was," Sam replied, managing to keep a straight face at the sentiment. She agreed, of course, but hearing it put so... bluntly was almost too much to take. "We're hoping we can help Daniel get those memories back, that they... didn't take them away forever. He said the base felt familiar, so I think we have a chance."

Danny straightened completely in his chair and got a determined look on his face. "We'll get them back," he declared. "We won't let them keep Daniel's memories. That would be too mean, and he was doing a good thing by helping you fight Anubis."

Sam smiled, proud of her boy. A flash of warmth flooded her at the familiar stubborn righteousness in the bright blue eyes he unknowingly shared with her returned friend. She'd see that again in the original pair - somehow she didn't doubt the man in the infirmary was the original Daniel Jackson - and she'd glory in it. For now, though, she just knelt down and wrapped her arms around little Danny MacDonald. "You bet we will," she whispered into his ear. "We'll show those people that you just can't keep Daniel down." She pulled back and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Now let's get ready for bed. I have a feeling we're going to be really busy over the next few days." Danny grinned and nodded, and two of them did just that.


	13. Chapter 12

Early the next morning, Janet went to Daniel's room, bringing his breakfast with her. She wanted to make sure he was doing all right, that he was at least starting to adjust to his new reality. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door to announce her arrival, preparing herself for the lack of true recognition she'd see in her friend's eyes. "Good morning, Daniel," she said as the door closed behind her. "I hope you slept well."

Daniel shrugged from where he was sitting in the middle of his bed. "Well enough, I suppose," he replied. "What's going to happen today?"

"Some of that will depend on you. I'd like to do a thorough examination, using the information in your medical file as a baseline. After that, well, it's up to you. If you're up for talking to your teammates, I know they'd love to see you." Janet gave him a small, tentative smile as she placed the tray she held on the overtop table next to the bed.

"I... I think maybe I should speak with them. Maybe that will... straighten out the jumble of images in my head. When I woke up this morning, I could remember flashes of what I must have been dreaming about. It's very confusing." Daniel sighed as his eyes dropped to his lap.

"Are you sure?" Janet asked, sensing some reluctance in the man.

Daniel nodded. "I'm sure. If we're as close as you said last night, it's only right that I talk with them. I get the feeling that it would hurt more not to talk to me at all than to know I can't remember them."

Janet relaxed, hearing Daniel's former compassion in his words and tone. "I'll let them in one at a time after my examination." She hesitated for a moment. "I should tell you, though, that you've already met two of them. Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill are two of your teammates."

Bright blue eyes widened. "They are?"

"When I saw your eyes after I bandaged your cut, I though I recognized them," Janet explained. "But I couldn't be sure, so I pulled Major Carter in to see you. Later, we both felt it was only right to let Colonel O'Neill see you. He's the team commander, and he missed you more than he was willing to admit to."

"I guess that explains his reaction when he saw me," Daniel said with a half-smile. He considered it for a minute. "He called me Daniel, didn't he?"

Janet nodded. "Yes. That's why I quickly tried to distract you. I didn't want to give away who we thought you were until I knew for sure."

Daniel sighed. "You were probably right to do that."

"Why don't you go ahead and eat before everything gets cold? When you're done, I'll take care of my examination, and then I'll tell SG-1 they can come visit if they'd like." She smiled. "I'll be back in a little while." She nodded and left after receiving a smile in return.

* * *

Daniel fiddled with the arms of the wire-framed glasses Doctor Fraiser had given him when she had finished with her examination. He was surprised by how much clearer his eyesight became when he put them on; he hadn't realized how much he'd been squinting before. But as much as the lenses helped improve his sight, he had a hard time keeping them on. They were a definite part of his life before two moons ago, and that life didn't seem quite real yet.

He had just put them back onto his bedside table when the door to his room opened abruptly and Colonel Jack O'Neill walked in. The older man stopped just inside the door as it closed automatically, looking at Daniel for a long moment. "So you decided to talk with us," Jack said finally.

"It only seemed right," Daniel replied.

"That's the only reason you did it?" Jack asked in a forced neutral tone as he pulled the lone chair in the room up to the side of the bed and sat in it.

Daniel sighed. How could he make this man understand what he was feeling? "Look, up until yesterday, the villagers and their village were all I knew. The tent I lived in and the ruins the village were in were all I knew. I don't remember anything from before I woke up outside those ruins. I've tried and I've tried, and even knowing what I know now I still can't quite seem to take hold of the memories. I try, and they just... disappear."

Jack's eyes narrowed for a moment, taking in the utterly sincere expression and almost lost tone. He looked away for a second to gather his thoughts, then took a deep breath and began. "You were a member of my team, SG-1. You're a friend of mine. Last year you died."

Daniel's expression turned slightly incredulous. "I'm dead?"

Jack shifted his jaw and stared for a second as he realized his mistake. "Obviously not. You just sort of died." Daniel just stared at him. "Actually, you ascended to a higher plane of existence. The last time I saw you, you were helping us fight Anubis."

"Anubis?" The younger man's incredulity went up another notch. Who or what the heck was Anubis?

"Yeah," Jack replied, stretching the word out. "Kind of a over-the-top, cliché bad guy. Black cloak, oily skin, kinda spooky..." His words trailed off as he saw no comprehension on Daniel's face. "Anyway, obviously since then you've retaken human form somehow, I..." His explanation trailed off again when Daniel's eyes grew even bigger to match the look of complete disbelief. Suddenly Jack realized exactly what he was saying. "Actually, I can see how this might seem a bit unusual."

"Just a bit," Daniel agreed over-brightly, nodding. Just what was this guy trying to do? He may have been a friend and teammate, but he wasn't helping. Daniel was all the more confused. "Why did I end up on that planet? Why am I here?"

Jack shrugged. "Hey, why are any of us here?" His small smile faded when Daniel sighed and looked away. "Honestly, I don't know. But you gotta trust me, you belong here, you're one of us. Think of it this way. Out of all the people you could have run into when you escaped that flood, why the Goa'uld and SG-5 if not for us to find you?" He took a quick moment to consider what he had said, then nodded when he realized it made sense.

Daniel looked back at him. "So you're saying that a higher power had a hand in getting me here?"

"I don't know. That was generally your department."

Daniel stared at him. "Look, Colonel..."

Jack flinched at the formality. "Jack. Call me Jack," he choked out.

"Jack." Daniel sighed. "I'm sorry. Right now I'm even more confused than I was when I woke up. Can you... give me some time to think about what you've said? I need it."

"Yeah," Jack said softly after a moment, rising to his feet. "You... you think about it. I'll just... leave you to it." He turned and headed out of the room.

"Jack, I didn't mean..." Daniel's voice trailed off when the door shut behind the exiting man. He sighed and flopped back onto his pillows. That could have gone better. He only hoped his next encounter was an improvement.

* * *

Sam struggled to focus on Danny as the two of them played an educational computer game that she downloaded soon after breakfast. Janet had told them that Daniel was willing to talk with them, but she was only allowing one person in at a time - and no, the others couldn't watch from the observation deck. The physicist hadn't been happy with that declaration, but had accepted it, realizing her time would be better served with her ward anyway.

Danny had seemed to pick up on Sam's anxiety from the moment she returned from Janet's office, where the physician had spoken to the members of SG-1 about her conversation with and examination of their descended friend. The boy had leaned up against his guardian as she sat beside him, paying extra close attention to anything she said, only asking questions if he thought it was absolutely necessary. Sam felt the support and was grateful for it. Now if only she could go and see Daniel...

"Major Carter," Teal'c said from the doorway of her lab, jarring her from her thoughts. "O'Neill has spoken with Daniel Jackson."

"Really?" Sam replied, her eyes wide. "How did it go?"

"I cannot say. I have not spoken with O'Neill. Doctor Fraiser told me of the conversation." The Jaffa met her eyes with a serious expression that spoke volumes about the emotional turmoil he was feeling.

Sam swallowed a sudden lump that had formed in her throat. "We should talk to him, find out what he said."

Teal'c nodded his head. "Indeed."

A moment later, Danny reached out a hand and laid it on Sam's arm, startling her. "I can play by myself," he whispered. "I'll stay right here."

"Oh, Danny." Sam hugged the boy tightly then rose to her feet. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I know," Danny said with a small smile. He closed his eyes happily when Sam leaned down and kissed his forehead, then watched her leave the room with Teal'c. He could only hope she got good news. She deserved it.

Sam and Teal'c soon arrived at Jack's office door and received permission to enter. The colonel sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair and staring at his powered down monitor. "You know," he said simply without looking at his visitors.

The two new arrivals shared a worried look. "Doctor Fraiser informed me of your conversation with Daniel Jackson soon after you left his room," Teal'c explained. "I then spoke with Major Carter."

"What did you talk about, sir?" Sam asked. "Does he remember anything?"

"I wouldn't say that," Jack replied with a touch of bitterness. "I swear it's like talking to a brick wall. I'm not even sure he was trying to accept what I was saying while I was talking to him."

"What did you tell him?" Sam asked.

Jack sighed. "I think I mentioned Anubis, and ascension, and dying. Don't ask me what order it all came in. I just know he asked me to leave so he could think about it."

Teal'c's eyebrow rose. "Is this not good news, O'Neill? Daniel Jackson is considering the information you have given him." Jack just shrugged and shook his head.

Sam took a deep breath and fought back the urge to shake her commanding officer. One conversation wasn't going to magically bring everything back, no matter how much they all wanted that to happen. "We can't give up, sir," she finally told him. "He said he'd think about what you told him, and he hasn't said we can't talk to him anymore. Someone needs to try again."

Jack finally turned his gaze to the door. He looked at Sam with raised eyebrows. "Tag, you're it."

"Me?" she blurted in surprise, then gathered her wits. "Of course, sir." She glanced at Teal'c, who nodded. "I'll go right now. I'll let you know what happens."

"You do that, Carter. I'm sure it'll be fascinating," Jack replied, turning away again.

"I will speak with O'Neill while you are gone," Teal'c told Sam in a low tone as she turned away from him in the doorway. The look in his eyes said he wasn't going to allow Jack the luxury of wallowing in self-pity any longer. Sam smiled and nodded in approval, then left for the isolation rooms.

* * *

Sam made a quick stop at her lab to tell Danny where she was going, then went to the infirmary to talk with Janet. The doctor gave her permission and wished her friend the best of luck. For some reason, that didn't fill the blonde major with confidence. She braced herself and headed for the isolation rooms.

After a quick rap at room four's door, she poked her head inside. "Can I come in?" she asked diffidently, hoping Daniel wasn't still shaken up from his talk with the colonel.

Daniel sat up on his bed and sighed. "Sure," he said with a touch of wariness and resignation.

"Thanks," Sam said sincerely, and stepped inside. "So..." she began nervously as she sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"Doctor Fraiser says we knew each other before, that we were on the same team," Daniel said, nearly cutting her off, his eyes on his fingers in his lap.

"That's right," Sam confirmed, some optimism returning at his willingness to speak with her. "We were on SG-1 together."

Daniel nodded. "That's what Colonel O'Neill said." He cut himself off with a soft, frustrated sigh. "I mean Jack."

Sam smiled at him. "You'll get used to it." Her expression faltered. "Well, I hope so, anyway."

"You said your name was Major Samantha Carter," Daniel said almost questioningly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Samantha Carter, yes. You used to call me Sam."

"Sam, right. Well, I guess that's something else I need to remember." The man looked away again.

Sam gave a short, nervous laugh then sobered quickly. "Is there anything I can tell you? I know I can't tell you _too_ much, but..." Her words trailed off when Daniel only shrugged at the offer. "There's nothing you want to know? Nothing you want me to explain?"

Daniel sighed. "Jack told me some things. I'm still sorting them out, I guess."

The woman cringed. "I hope he wasn't too hard on you."

"No, I wouldn't say that. He just... It was just a bit overwhelming."

"Is that making you hesitant to ask me questions?" Sam asked. Daniel just shrugged again, making her sigh. "I guess I just don't understand why you aren't dying to know all about who you are."

"I am," he replied firmly, looking at her once again. "And in a way I guess I'm not."

"See, it's the not part..."

"What if I don't like who I was?" Daniel asked, interrupting, somewhat desperate for her to understand. "What if I don't want to be that person? What if I don't have it in me to make up for something I've done wrong?"

Sam blinked in surprise. "I have to admit that never occurred to me," she said slowly, considering it. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, we all thought we'd lost you at one point. It is one of the hardest things I have ever been through. You were - you _are_ - brilliant. One of the most caring, passionate.. . You're the type of person who would give his own life for someone he doesn't even know." Her eyes begged him to try to accept what she was saying.

Daniel gave her a small smile. "Well, that doesn't sound _too_ bad."

Sam took courage from the response. She drew herself up and went on. "If you had one fault, it was that you wanted to save people _so_ much, _so_ badly; you wanted to help people _so_ much, that it tore you apart when you couldn't make a difference."

"That actually sounds kind of hard to live up to," Daniel replied, his expression paling somewhat while his eyes searched hers as if looking for the truth.

She refused to look away, even as her anxiety rose. "All I know is that if I were you, I would definitely want to get to know me." She blinked and relaxed involuntarily, realizing what that sounded like. "Uh, you," she corrected, blushing slightly.

Daniel's smile returned. "I get it."

Sam searched his eyes for a few moments as she figured out what to say next. "I hope you can find it in your heart to trust me, to trust all of us here to help you figure things out. We can show you who you are instead of just telling you, if you'll let us. But take your time. Don't feel like you have to do things quickly just to make us happy."

"Thank you," Daniel said simply.

"You deserve it," Sam replied. "And you'd do the same for me." She shrugged and stood. "I'll go now and let you think about things."

"Okay." Daniel watched her walk to the door and begin to open in it before calling out to her. "Sam."

She turned around, startled. "Yeah?"

Daniel searched her face, a bit of confusion in his eyes. "Was there ever anything... between us?"

Sam blinked. "Us? Uh, no. No, not in that way. We..." She paused for a moment then smiled gently. "We were really, really good friends."

"Okay." Daniel nodded and relaxed back onto his pillows. "I guess I'll talk to you later then."

"That sounds good," Sam said, extremely pleased. She grinned. "That sounds very good." She gave him a little wave and left.

* * *

Janet sat with Danny in Sam's lab while the physicist spoke with Daniel, having chosen to take her break there to make sure the boy wasn't alone during a trying time. He didn't speak much, usually only responding to questions with a shake or nod of the head or a gesture in the appropriate direction, but she was used to that by now. She was just happy he would speak to her at all, even if it was only when it was absolutely necessary to answer a query put to him.

The petite doctor watched the child play one of the games Sam had downloaded onto her laptop, impressed by the three-year-old' s prowess. She'd have to ask Sam or Sabrina about it; she shouldn't be surprised, she knew, considering who he was a clone of, but she was startled all the same. That was the thought going through her mind when the lab door abruptly opened, revealing Jack O'Neill standing on the other side.

Jack stared inside, his eyes locked on the child sitting at the table, seemingly oblivious to the woman sitting a little ways away from him. Danny looked back at him, a smile starting to turn up the corners of his mouth as he recognized his visitor. Before it could fully blossom, Jack's expression transformed into a dark scowl, and he reached forward to slam the door shut with a low growl. Janet jumped at the sharp crack, then turned her head to look at Danny just as the boy's expression fell into one of hurt and confusion.

"It's okay, Daniel," Janet said soothingly, stepping forward to gently grip his arms. She inwardly cringed at the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. "The colonel is just upset right now. It's really hurting him that his old teammate doesn't remember him."

"It hurts Sam, too," Danny whispered, his gaze falling to his lap.

Janet's heart broke at the unspoken sentiment that Sam hadn't treated him badly, no matter how much she'd been hurting. "I know, it hurts a lot of us. But we have hope, and we're going to keep trying. Jack's having a hard time dealing with that."

Danny nodded. "But I don't think he likes me right now."

Janet gasped. "Oh, Daniel..."

"Maybe I should have talked to him. Maybe he'd like me if I did." The boy's eyes lifted for a moment then fell again.

"Daniel..." Janet continued to softly rub his arms as an anger began to surge behind her overwhelming sympathy for the child. Jack could go ahead and beat himself up needlessly over Daniel Jackson's amnesia all he wanted, but to take it out on this little boy was going way too far.

The tiny woman took a deep breath and put her fury on a back burner. "Don't you do anything until you're ready for it," Janet said to Danny. "Jack was wrong to act that way. It wasn't your fault. You did absolutely nothing wrong." She took a hand and gently lifted his face to look him in the eye. "You're not in trouble, Daniel, I promise. Please don't feel like you should be."

Danny stared at her for a long moment, seeing if not completely recognizing the sympathy in the emotional gaze. It occurred to him that it was important to her that he not feel bad, that he understood what she had just told him. Just like Sam always did. Was it possible that Doctor Fraiser cared about him, too? "I really didn't do anything wrong?" he asked in a barely audible whisper.

"Not a thing," Janet immediately assured him with a small smile. "And if it will make you feel better, I'll go talk to Jack when Sam gets back and make sure everything's okay." Oh, and would one Colonel Jonathan O'Neill get one hell of a talking to, whether he wanted it or not. The petite doctor fought back an evil smirk at the thought.

"That... that would make me feel better," Danny replied softly, trying to return the smile. He sighed after a moment and just let his head rest against Janet's shoulder.

Stunned, it took the auburn-haired woman a moment to wrap her arms around the boy. Tears welled up in her chocolate brown eyes as she realized that she'd just been admitted to his inner circle. This wasn't just the child reaching out because Sam was gone and in danger; she had somehow proven herself to him. The only time she'd felt prouder was the first time Cassie had called her mom.

The two of them were still in that position ten minutes later when Sam returned from Daniel's isolation room. "Um, hi," she said, confused.

Janet grinned widely at the blonde as she and Danny separated. "Hey, Sam. How did everything go?"

"Well, he said he'd talk to me later. That's something." She smiled and gestured at her friend and her ward as the physician rose to her full height. "Not that I mind, but what's going on? Is everything okay?"

Janet's grin immediately dropped away. "Colonel O'Neill paid us a short visit while you were gone. I'm guessing he was hoping your talk with Daniel was already over. He didn't say anything, but it wasn't pleasant all the same."

Sam's eyes widened. "What did he do?" She rushed over to Danny and took him into her arms protectively without even thinking about it. "What did the colonel do?"

"He gave Daniel a nasty expression then slammed the door before he left. But don't worry, Daniel and I worked everything out before you got here. I told him I'd have a few words with the colonel and make sure it's going to be okay."

Sam blinked at the fierce expression and dark tone her friend had used. "Right," she said slowly. "I'll, uh, let you take care of it, then. Just... let me know if you need some back up."

Janet's expression cleared. "Oh, I doubt I'll need that, Sam. You just take care of our boy here. I'll take care of the other one." She looked at Danny. "I'm going to go do that now. You just relax and enjoy the rest of the day with Sam. I'll talk to you two later." She reached out and gave the boy's arm another squeeze, then smiled at Sam and left.

Sam stared at the closed door for a long moment then looked down at the boy in her arms. "Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked softly.

"I'm okay," Danny whispered back. "Doctor Fraiser told me I didn't do anything wrong."

"You didn't, I know you didn't," Sam said quickly, giving him a squeeze.

Danny sighed and let Sam fully take his weight. "I think Doctor Fraiser is mad at Jack."

Sam couldn't stop the smile his comment generated. "I think you're right, Danny. I think you're right."

* * *

It didn't take long for Janet to track Jack down in his office. She stood in front of his closed door for a long moment, struggling to get her temper under control, and finally knocked. Ignoring the clipped "Who's there?" she quickly walked inside, closing and locking the door behind herself, a part of her enjoying the startled expression she received when she did it.

"What are you doing, Doc?" Jack asked as Janet planted herself in front of his desk. "What are you up to?"

"I'm doing something I apparently should have done when this whole thing started," Janet snapped back, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I thought I'd be patient, let you work things out on your own. No more. This pity party's being cancelled, as of _now_."

Jack sat back in his chair, wariness creeping into his gaze. "You pitying me now, Doc?" he asked carefully.

Janet's arms exploded out as she scowled darkly. "Don't use that dumb colonel act on me; I'm not playing that game. You know full well what I meant!"

Jack's expression grew cold. "I believe you should leave now, Major," he said quietly, his tone icier than the glint in his eyes.

"The hell I will, _Colonel_," Janet zipped back as frostily. "This has strayed into medical and mental health, which gives me every right to finish this conversation."

"Are you trying to claim I'm becoming unbalanced, _Doctor_?"

"Don't you dare put words in my mouth!" Janet paused a moment to reign herself in somewhat. She wouldn't get anything accomplished if she lost it completely. "You have been a selfish bastard ever since we lost Daniel," she continued in a much calmer, quieter tone of voice. "It was easy to understand it in the beginning; I knew you and Daniel had been close, and it had to be tearing out your heart. I even understood your feelings about Jonas. He'd been there, and now here he was, alive, trying to worm his way onto your team. I'm ashamed to say I felt the same way for a while. But then it became obvious that Jonas was trying to atone, was trying to do everything in his power to help us in our fight against the Goa'uld. He put up with your cold shoulder and begrudging appointment to your team, trying to make the best of it."

Janet sighed and rubbed a hand over her face while Jack silently sat in his chair and stared at her stonily. She hadn't even noticed him cross his arms over his chest during her tirade. Oh, but she wasn't done yet. She took a deep breath and went on. "I didn't say anything because I know everyone's grieving time is different. You were allowing Jonas to help, if not graciously, and weren't actively being negative. Then Anubis came to Abydos. Daniel came and everything with the Eye of Ra happened and..." Janet shook her head. "It hurt to hear that we might have lost Daniel altogether, and I knew it had to be worse for all of you. Then we got caught up in the NID experiment, and little Daniel came into our lives. And you took it personally. You took his existence personally."

The petite doctor rolled her eyes and rested her fists on her hips, a glare cutting off an attempted retort from Jack. "When I heard you say that it felt like this little boy was trying to take Daniel's place in your life, I couldn't believe it. I know Sabrina understood, and in a weird, twisted way I suppose it makes sense, but I just saw you taking your own guilt and grief out on a three-year-old child. I was just glad you weren't doing it to his face. And you seemed to be getting over it."

Now her fury reestablished itself. "What I'm seeing right now, however, is a man with his head up his ass! Your friend has come back! Daniel Jackson is sitting in an isolation room _right now_. Yes, he has amnesia, but he's showing signs that it won't be permanent. And what are you doing? Moping around acting like the universe is playing a huge, cruel joke at your expense, and taking it out on everybody around you!"

"Well, excuse me for having to readjust my thinking after trying to accept that my best friend was gone for good, and it was all my fault for pushing him that far!" Jack finally interrupted in a loud, echoing shout, bursting to his feet and slamming his hands down on his desk.

"There is absolutely nothing that can excuse you taking out your psychological issues on that little boy in Sam's lab!" Janet screamed back, also leaning forward to slam her hands on his desk.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Jack asked defiantly, worry starting to encroach on the angry fire in his eyes. He searched her gaze. "I never said anything to him."

Janet blew out an explosive breath. "Not in words, no, but since when does a child need words to understand a slammed door? I watched you glare at Daniel, then growl and slam the door as you left. You may not have verbalized it, but even I could tell you weren't happy to see him, that he represented something negative for you. I can only imagine how much worse it was for him, having it aimed directly at him." She watched horrified realization dawn in his eyes and felt satisfaction grow in her heart. "He was sure he'd done something wrong. I'm not sure I managed to convince him otherwise. Sabrina has said that he only trusts the members of SG-1. Can you understand how much damage you could have done? One of the only people he trusts lashes out at him out of nowhere for no reason he knows of. How is he supposed to feel? He's always ready to believe he's done something wrong and should be punished. Do you want to wreck his chances at growing into a normal childhood?"

Jack flopped back into his chair, serious concern furrowing his eyebrows. "How does one..." he waved a hand around, "thing do all that? Is he really that fragile?" There was a sense of disbelief in his tone.

"I don't think so, no," Janet replied, almost reluctantly. "But if you keep this up, it could get bad. And that's on top of what you'd be doing to your chances with your friend once he _does_ remember. Do you really want that? Do you want to take the chance that he sees your attitude as proof that you don't really want him back?"

Jack stared at her. "Do _you_ think I don't want him back?" he asked softly.

"I know better than that, Jack," she replied just as softly. "Will he?"

Jack stopped himself before he shot back the automatic affirmative that sprang to his lips. He thought back to how strained their friendship had been before... Kelowna. He remembered himself snapping at Daniel to cross the line the Ancients had drawn to keep ascended beings from interfering in the affairs of mortals, the way he'd pushed at him from the moment he'd gotten into the catacombs after the battle with Anubis' forces had started to go sour. If Daniel remembered those things as well... Maybe it _was_ possible he could believe Jack didn't want him back.

The colonel focused once again on the doctor standing before him. "I don't want him to think that," he said simply.

"Then do something about it," Janet said. "I know that we still want to confirm that he's not a clone, but he's showing signs of memory that a clone probably wouldn't have. And I've started to get a feeling that he's the real deal. There's a lot of positives going on here. You have to let yourself see them."

"It's hard," Jack whispered, his eyes finally showing the pain he was feeling.

"Of course it is," Janet said gently, her stance relaxing. "You've been on a long, emotional roller coaster. It's only natural that you keep waiting for the rug to be pulled out from beneath you." She shrugged. "I know I am."

Jack straightened slightly, his expression surprised. "You are? What about all the positives you mentioned?"

Janet gave a short chuckle and a rueful smile. "I'm making myself look at them. For all I know, Thor is going to show up, scan the man in the isolation room, and tell us he's a clone or an android or something. But I can't focus on that. I can't do that to myself. Maybe I'm just setting myself up for another emotional tumble, but it feels pretty good to believe that my friend has come back when I never expected he would. I like that feeling."

"And I suppose it makes it easier to take care of him," Jack added, a smile reluctantly twitching at his lips.

"There's that."

"Aw, gees, Doc," the colonel spit out with a loud gust of air, "I didn't mean to make the kid or anyone else feel bad over this." He flopped back in his chair.

Janet smiled and shook her head. "I know. That doesn't mean you didn't deserve everything I said, but I _do_ know you didn't mean it. You owe Daniel an apology, though, and probably soon."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I suppose I do. And I might as well hand out a few more while I'm at it." He stood and gave the doctor a sincere look. "I'm sorry I was such an ass. I'll do my best to put the attitude away."

"Apology accepted, and see that you do." She grinned. "Now I'd better get back to the infirmary. Sam and Daniel are in her lab, by the way, in case you needed to know."

"Go on, get out of here," Jack retorted, shooing her away with a flick of his hands. "We've both got work to do." He watched her go, then prepared himself for a big old slice of crow.

* * *

Jack stood in the doorway of Sam's lab a little while later, watching his second in command play a video game with her ward on her laptop. He stayed there for a long silent moment, unconsciously looking for his adult friend in the child even as he took note of how normal the scene seemed. Well, taking away the fact that it was happening in the middle of a technology-filled lab nineteen floors below ground in the most classified base in the country. He finally shook his head and braced himself for the task he had come to do.

Sam and Danny turned toward the door at the sound of a throat being cleared. The blonde major recovered from her surprise quickly, seeing the contrite glint in Jack's eyes, but the boy tensed, not knowing what to expect this time. He'd never know just how much the lack of a welcoming smile hurt the silver-haired colonel.

"Sir," Sam greeted him, giving Danny a squeeze.

"Carter," Jack returned with a brief glance in her direction. His focus was on the child at her side. "It looks like I owe somebody here a huge apology." He crouched down to Danny's eye level, ignoring the painful protest of his knees. "When I came here before, I was a real jerk. I was upset about something else, and I took it out on you. That was totally out of line, and I shouldn't have done it. I know I hurt you by doing it, and I want to say I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

Danny swallowed nervously. From what Jack had just said, it looked like Doctor Fraiser and Sam had been right; he hadn't done anything wrong to make Jack look at him the way he had. And now Jack was saying sorry to _him_. The boy stared into the brown eyes in front of him and was surprised to see guilt and pain there. It was obviously a struggle for him to keep up the direct eye contact. Danny couldn't let him hurt any more, especially if there was something he could do about it.

The blond child took a deep breath before speaking. "I forgive you, Jack," he said softly.

Jack was surprised at the dual emotional surges at the absolution. On one hand, he was relieved; he was shocked at how much he'd needed to be forgiven by this little boy. On the other hand, he was struck by a huge pang of regret; it was now apparent how much he needed to hear those four words from the adult version of his friend. His jaw clenched for a moment before he could find his voice again. "Thank you," he whispered. "That means a lot to me." The bright smile his gratitude inspired was a balm that soothed some of his pain.

"Thank _you_, Colonel," Sam said gently as Jack rose to his feet.

"It's the least I could do," Jack replied dismissively. "The squirt here deserves that and more." He smiled down on the child then returned his attention to Sam. "So did your talk with Daniel go any better than mine?"

Sam summarized her visit with Daniel, leaving out his last question. "And as I left he said he'd talk to me later," she concluded with a smile. "I really think everything's going to be okay, Colonel. I really do."

Jack nodded. "That does sound a lot better than what we said to each other. Glad to see you learned from my mistakes on this one."

Sam's smile turned understanding. "We're all just trying to feel our way through this one, Colonel. This isn't exactly the kind of thing that's covered in training, not even the special SGC training that's been put in place."

"There's that," Jack agreed, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "Think we should recommend a chapter on it?"

"That might not be wise, sir," Sam answered with a chuckle. "We'd have to admit to all the mistakes we've been making along the way."

"Good point. And we've got a reputation to maintain." He looked at Danny, who was watching them with a small smile. "Can't have the mighty SG-1 looking like a bunch of bumbling buffoons. Isn't that right?" Danny just giggled.

Sam grinned along with the other two. Soon she sobered, and a thought occurred to her. "Sir, did Teal'c talk to you after I left?" If he had, why had it apparently taken Janet's lecture to improve the colonel's attitude?

Jack cringed slightly and shook his head. "It looked like he was about to, but I got called to Hammond's office. Once I was done there, I thought you might be back from your little talk with Daniel, so I came here. When I got back to my office, Teal'c was gone. I'm sure he's still planning his verbal attack on me, though. Just biding his time."

"I'll let him know Janet beat him to it. I need to tell him how my time with Daniel went anyway."

"Thanks, Carter. You're a life saver." Jack shrugged. "Or at least an ego saver. He doesn't always say that much, but when Teal'c goes on a crusade, he doesn't pull any punches, and you're usually left feeling pretty small, and deservedly so."

"He still might talk to you, sir," Sam warned.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I know. But at least there's a smaller chance of it this way."

A small comfortable moment of silence followed the statement. "I think it's about time for lunch," Sam said after a glance at her watch. "Would you like to join us, sir?"

"Yeah, I think I would. Thanks for the invite, Carter." Jack reached out and pulled Danny off the stool he was sitting on and placed him on the floor. "Come on, kiddo," the man said to the startled child. "Let's go see if they have anything other than blue Jell-O for dessert." Danny gave another giggle at the eager look Jack wore and Sam rolled her eyes as she shook her head. The three of them then made their way to the commissary.


	14. Chapter 13

When Jack didn't return to his office in a reasonable amount of time after being summoned away by General Hammond, Teal'c decided to bide his time. He knew O'Neill had figured out something was coming; relief was more than apparent on the colonel's features when he was told of the base commander's desire to speak with him. The Jaffa went instead to have an early lunch, then made his way to the infirmary.

By the time Teal'c got to the medical hub of the base, the midday meal was being served to the few patients under the staff's care. He nodded his greetings as he passed the laid-up men and walked over to the CMO's office, giving the door a respectful knock. He entered when he was bid to do so.

"Teal'c," Janet greeted with a touch of surprise in her tone. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I believe there is, Doctor Fraiser," Teal'c replied. "Would it be possible for me to speak with Daniel Jackson? I have not spoken with Major Carter as I was awaiting O'Neill's return from a meeting with General Hammond, so I do not know if she has completed her conversation."

"She's been done for a while, actually. Things went well enough from what she told me." Janet smiled smugly. "I just came back from speaking with Colonel O'Neill. There were a few things that needed to be said. They probably should have been said a while ago."

A dark eyebrow rose. "Indeed. So does this mean you have taken him to task for his poor attitude regarding young Daniel and Daniel Jackson?"

The doctor's smile grew. "Yes, on both accounts. And I'm willing to bet money they heard parts of it from the elevators. I think I got through to him, though. It shouldn't be necessary to hurt him."

The corners of the Jaffa's mouth twitched upward. "I am pleased to hear that. I was not looking forward to having to cause O'Neill harm, although my actions would likely have been what was best for him."

Janet just laughed. "It probably would have been," she agreed. "Now, about Daniel," she continued after her chuckles subsided, although her smile never left. "He's eating right at the moment, but as soon as he's finished it should be fine to pay him a visit. Just remember to watch what you tell him, and be careful not to overwhelm him. I have a feeling he'll let you know when he's had too much, but I thought I'd warn you all the same."

"Thank you, Doctor Fraiser," Teal'c said with an inclination of his head. "I shall return in half an hour."

"That should be fine."

As promised, Teal'c returned to the infirmary a half hour later, and was given permission to talk with Daniel. The Jaffa swiftly went to the isolation room and knocked, going inside when he was given permission.

Daniel sat on his bed and stared at his new visitor as the large man came over to stand by the bed. This was someone he'd never seen before. "Hello," he said quietly, gesturing to the bedside chair.

Something inside Teal'c twisted painfully at the lack of recognition in his friend's eyes, but he hid it behind his usual stoic exterior. "Greetings, Daniel Jackson," he returned after seating himself and taking a subtle deep breath. "You look well."

"Well enough, I guess." Daniel hesitated for a moment then went on. "I take it we've already met," he said with a note of resignation in his tone.

"Indeed. I am Teal'c, and you and I have been friends and teammates for many years."

Daniel sighed. "I wish I could tell you I remember that, but I can't. I'm sorry."

"There is no need for you to apologize. I am aware of your amnesia. I merely wished to inform you of our previous relationship so you would understand why I would come to see and speak with you." Teal'c paused for a moment, his jaw muscle twitching as he kept his emotions under control. "I had not thought to be able to do so again after the last time we spoke. I am glad I was mistaken."

"I guess I am, too," Daniel said with a weak little laugh. It quickly died. "I want to remember, Teal'c. I really do. But right now, if I really do still have all my memories, they're just a blurry, jumbled mess."

"You will regain your memories, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c assured him with confidence. "It will only take time."

Daniel narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the Jaffa. "You seem so sure," he said softly.

Teal'c gave him a tiny smile. "You have been through many things in the time I have known you. You have always persevered; you will again. It is a part of your very nature."

The brown-haired man shook his head. "I wish I could be as confident about my nature. I'm afraid I don't know myself very well yet."

"And you are unsure if you wish to reacquaint yourself to your previous life and personality," Teal'c said, picking up on the man's slight hesitation.

"I guess so," Daniel replied, surprised. He cocked his head a bit to the side. "I had to explain that to Sam. How did _you_ know?"

"I am Jaffa," Teal'c said simply. "I have been trained to look for the smallest signs that can reveal another's hidden motivations."

Daniel drew back slightly. "Why would you need that kind of training?"

Teal'c hesitated, then realized the question his friend didn't ask. "Do you remember the Jaffa?" he asked, a blossom of hope coming alive in his heart.

"The Jaffa?" Daniel repeated, puzzled, his brows furrowing. "Well… it never occurred to me to ask who they were. I guess I just… knew, somewhere inside. You… you're an alien, aren't you? You come from another planet? From somewhere on the other side of the stargate?"

"You are correct," Teal'c assured him, proud of the memory Daniel seemed to have recalled. The little light of hope grew.

Daniel let his eyes fell shut as he tried to follow the new line of thought. "The Jaffa… follow the Goa'uld," he said slowly. "They… carry the Goa'uld larvae until they're mature enough to be implanted, and… that gives them an exceptional immune system and lifespan." There was a long silent moment, then the descended archaeologist blew out an explosive breath, his eyes springing open. "I can't get any more," he said in frustration. "Was I right?"

Teal'c inclined his head briefly. "You have remembered correctly, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel sighed again, his eyes turning sad. "But I didn't remember anything about you in particular," he said apologetically.

"I believe you shall in time, my friend. You have just proven that the memories reside within you." This time Teal'c gave him a larger smile. "You shall return to us whole of mind and spirit as well as body. Of this I am certain."

"Yeah," Daniel whispered, a smile of his own appearing. "I guess maybe I do have a chance."

"That you have always had in your possession, Daniel Jackson. Know that I and the rest of your friends here will assist you in any way possible. You have only to ask."

"That means a lot, Teal'c. Thank you." Daniel's smile fully formed. "I'm feeling better, I think."

Teal'c's eyebrows rose. "Then I am glad to have helped you feel this way."

Daniel just nodded as his expression dimmed somewhat, a little lost in thought. A moment later he returned his attention to the figure seated next to him. "Doctor Fraiser told me we were close friends before… this. I don't doubt that in the least. I want to apologize for the pain I must have caused when I…" The brown-haired man sighed as he thought of what little Jack had told him about his departure. He still didn't really understand it all. "Left," he finally concluded. It felt rather lame.

Teal'c clenched his jaw against the sudden surge of emotions the reminder of his dramatic loss brought about. "Again, there is no need to apologize. You did what was necessary."

"I wish I could be sure." Daniel shrugged. "Maybe in time."

"Do you wish me to give you time to consider what you have remembered?" Teal'c asked after a brief moment of silence.

Daniel took a deep breath and released it. "Maybe you should. Maybe if I just… meditate on it or something I'll come up with more." He met Teal'c's gaze. "I _want_ to come up with more."

Teal'c nodded once. "I am aware of your desire, Daniel Jackson. The rest of your friends share it. I will leave you to your contemplation. May I return at a later time?"

Daniel smiled. "Of course," he said simply.

Teal'c rose to his feet and gave his friend a small bow. Without another word, he exited the isolation room, Daniel watching after him with a grateful expression.

* * * * * * * *

Jonas stood in the observation deck above Daniel's isolation room and stared down with wide eyes. The man's DNA relieved the Kelownan's self-imposed duty; Doctor Jackson had returned to finish his own work. There was his home planet to consider, however. The Goa'uld were still very much a threat to its safety, whether the Kelownans had accepted that fact or not. They'd never know, of course, not as long as Jonas was considered a traitor there. But it was a purpose. And Jonas would always know.

There was no telling if it would be enough, though, nor what his role in protecting Kelowna would be. Daniel Jackson's return left Jonas feeling totally out of place. He wasn't foolish enough to think he'd be able to remain on SG-1; he'd known from the beginning he was more of a place-holder than a true member of the team. But he'd begun to think otherwise recently, especially after he'd defended Doctor Jackson and SG-1's actions on Abydos to Telane. He finally felt like Colonel O'Neill had started to consider him _one of them_, a real member of the team and a valuable contributor to the SGC and its mission. But now…

Jonas sighed. Now he was just another displaced alien living off the charity of the people of Earth. He was adrift, and he really wasn't comfortable with the feeling. What was he going to do with himself?

He never noticed when Sabrina entered the room and stood just inside watching him. Janet had called her, worried, when she found out where Jonas had disappeared to and asked her to make sure he was all right. The psychologist wasn't sure she wanted to make a call on that quite yet. The despair she could sense rolling off him in waves was almost physically palpable.

"We don't know if that's really Daniel Jackson," she finally said quietly.

Jonas jumped at the sound of her voice and spun to face her. "I didn't hear you come in," he replied after a beat to recover from the shock.

The black-haired woman smiled gently. "You looked a little caught up in your thoughts, so I'm not surprised." She gestured at the viewing window. "I've been told the Asgard haven't responded yet, so we don't know if that's really Daniel Jackson."

Jonas shrugged. "We don't know if he's not."

"Will it truly matter one way or the other?"

"I suppose not," he said with a sigh. "I know where I really stand now."

Sabrina's eyes narrowed as she stepped further into the room. "I hope you're talking about being a valued member of SG-1 and the SGC," she said slowly.

Jonas' eyes grew sad. "Daniel Jackson is the valued member of SG-1 the others really want on the team. I've always known that. Now that he's back… most likely," he added quickly when he saw the automatic protest forming on Sabrina's lips, "he'll be back where he belongs."

Sabrina sighed. There wasn't going to be a quick fix for this one. "Come get a late lunch with me," she suggested. "Let's get your mind off of this."

Jonas looked at her for a long moment then nodded, his shoulders drooping slightly as he allowed himself to be led away. Neither one of them looked back.

* * * * * * * *

Sam noticed a thoughtful look on Danny's face when she was laying him down for his nap that afternoon. They had lingered with Jack in the commissary after they'd all finished eating, and had seen Jonas and Sabrina come in just as they were getting ready to leave. Jonas had looked sad, and Sabrina sympathetic and determined, both expressions setting off small alarm bells in Sam's head. She couldn't help but wonder if Danny had seen the same things.

"Is there something bothering you?" she asked gently as she pulled the blanket up to the little boy's shoulders.

Danny hesitated for a moment. "Is Jonas sad?" he eventually asked softly. "He looked sad."

Sam sighed internally. He _had_ noticed. "You're right, Jonas did look sad. I don't know for sure, though. I haven't talked to him since yesterday morning." And that thought made her feel a bit guilty. Daniel coming back would impact _everybody_, Jonas in particular. Why hadn't anyone considered that?

"Why would he be sad?"

"Oh, Danny, it's hard to say," Sam answered. "Jonas took Daniel's place on SG-1, so he might not feel like he has a place here with Daniel back. But I don't know for sure."

"Oh, I see," Danny said, his brows creasing as he considered it. "Does he have a place here with Daniel back?"

"Of course he does," Sam replied immediately. "Jonas has been a very important member of SG-1, and the SGC. That doesn't stop because Daniel's back."

Danny nodded, a small smile of satisfaction forming on his lips. "Then Sabrina will tell him that, and so will you and Jack and Teal'c, and Jonas won't be sad anymore."

Sam couldn't help smiling in return, even though she wasn't as confident. "We certainly will try. Now, I think you should get to sleep." She rose to her feet, then leaned over and kissed the boy on the forehead. "Sweet dreams."

Danny smiled. "Thank you, Sam," he whispered. He then closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Sam watched him for a long moment before leaving to return to a project waiting for her in her lab. She could only hope Danny was right.

* * * * * * * *

Jack had a hard time returning to his paperwork after he left Sam and Danny. They'd had a good time, even though the kid hadn't said much. Of course, the fact that he'd said anything at all with Jack around, even talking _to_ Jack on a few occasions, was just shy of a miracle. Sam was doing a great job with him.

After finishing the latest batch he'd undertaken, Jack decided to work off some of his tumultuous emotions in the gym. An hour or so of work and sweat should do wonders. Or so he hoped. It certainly couldn't hurt.

The colonel had been at it for a half hour or so when Lieutenant Colonel Louis Ferretti came into the gym in his workout clothes. "Hey, Jack," Lou said as he straddled the free weight bench next to Jack. "Is it true Daniel's back?"

Jack sat up after resting the two hand weights he'd been using on the floor. "The base grapevine is getting better all the time," he grumbled, frowning slightly. "It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since we pieced things together."

"So it _is_ true," Ferretti said with a small smirk. "I knew nothing could keep that guy down."

"Oh, hold your horses," Jack growled. "He doesn't remember anything from before two months ago. And considering the tiny version Carter's taken under her wing we can't be sure the big version we've got is the real thing. Hammond's sent out messages to the Tok'ra and the Asgard to see if either one of them can help clear things up."

"But DNA tests came back positive," Ferretti persisted.

Jack sighed. "Yes, the DNA is a match. And actually…" the man's eyebrows creased as he considered his next point clearly for the first time, "he said that things around here felt familiar, that they felt right."

Lou smiled. "Hey, that's a good sign, Jack. I doubt a clone would get that kind of feeling. Especially if he didn't have any memories."

Jack nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm still a little hesitant to just accept that he's Daniel, though."

The other man shrugged. "You'll get there, especially if Daniel comes up with some memories. My gut says it's really him, just so you know."

"You haven't even seen him," Jack protested mildly. He respected gut feelings for the most part. They'd saved his butt more than once in the field.

"No, but something in the air is different, better." Lou shook his head and tossed the towel that had been draped across his shoulders onto the floor. "Sounds hokey, I admit it, and maybe I just want it to be Daniel. Can't shake the feeling, though." He stood and examined the bar and its weights. He made a face and grabbed the hand weights Jack had abandoned. He laughed at the frown his actions produced. "Hey, just because you decided to quit…" He started to do arm curls while Jack rolled his eyes.

"So how's SG-10 doing?" Jack asked. "I heard Barnett might have screwed up his back on your last mission."

Ferretti shook his head. "Fraiser cleared him, but I think he'll be gun shy for a little while. I'm hoping we end up with a few easy runs until he shakes it."

Jack shrugged. "What are the odds of that? Just don't coddle him too long."

"I know, I know. But I don't want to lose him; he's been a good fit. He's managed to balance his work on base and in the field, and that's saying something. Ever since Daniel…" Lou cut himself off and cleared his throat. "Well, things just aren't the same in that department."

"Hey, Lou," Jack began after silently watching his friend for a few moments, "can you keep this stuff about Daniel under wraps for a while? I mean, as much as you can anyway. Daniel doesn't need anymore pressure to remember than he's already under, and if he finds out a bunch of people are asking after him…" He let his words trail off with a shrug.

Lou paused in his workout and gave the older man an understanding smile. "He's my friend, too, Jack. I'll do what I can to slow down the grapevine. Just…" He shrugged. "Let me know when he's ready to see me. I missed him, too."

Jack smiled and stood, scooping up his towel from the workout bench as he did. "You bet, Lou. As soon as Fraiser gives the okay." He gestured toward the dumbbells the other man was holding. "Since you confiscated those things, I'll let you put them away. I'll talk to you later." His smile flashed into a grin, and the silver-haired man walked away. Lou just watched him go with a low chuckle and a shake of his head. Yeah, Jack would be all right.

* * * * * * * *

Jack returned to his office after his workout, unconsciously watching out for Teal'c as he did, and sat in the silent room thinking. Fraiser had been right; it was time to stop wallowing in self-pity and start helping his friend completely come back to them all. The scenario that made the most sense was that this really was Daniel back from Oma-land, un-glowy and all flesh and blood. The lack of memory was some kind of lame punishment - but something was still there, at least if the SGC seemed familiar somehow. Which meant the rest was there, buried. And it could be unburied.

Those memories would return, especially if Daniel was focused on making them come back. Jack frowned. Daniel would have to want those memories back to focus on that goal. And he was currently sitting in an isolation room dressed in a drafty hospital gown - well, okay, scrubs - and surrounded by nothing but sterile hospital walls and equipment. While Daniel had certainly spent plenty of time in the infirmary, and even a decent amount of time in those isolation rooms, Jack was equally certain those weren't the kinds of memories anyone would want to have back first. If he really wanted to encourage Daniel's memory, shouldn't Jack get him into a better, homier place? There was no way Fraiser - or Hammond, for that matter - would let Daniel off the base, but there had to be something…

Suddenly Jack grinned. He knew what he could do. He just had to have a little chat with the doc to figure out the soonest they could make it happen. The colonel jumped to his feet and headed off to the infirmary.

* * * * * * * *

The nurse had just taken Daniel's empty dinner tray away when Doctor Fraiser came into his room with a wide, gentle smile. "How was supper?" she asked, stepping over to the bed and examining the cut on his forehead.

"Fine," Daniel said as he flinched at the touch. The injury was still slightly tender.

"That's good." Janet made a note on the man's chart at the end of the bed, then turned back to face him. "Well, it turns out that besides that cut, you're in perfect health, although you should really wear those glasses," she announced. "I really don't have any good reason to keep you in my infirmary any longer."

Daniel's brow creased in confusion as he reached over to put on the eyewear as instructed. "And what does that mean?"

The door opened once again and Jack walked in carrying a pile of clothes. "It means I get to break you out of this joint," he said lightly. He handed over the pile to the confused younger man. "It's just a jumpsuit and T-shirt, along with some socks and underwear, but at least it's not scrubs." The silver-haired man shrugged and placed the pair of boots that had been under the cloth on the floor next to Daniel's feet.

Janet couldn't help but grin at the astonished look on Daniel's face. "The colonel here was kind enough to set up a room for you so you don't have to stay in the infirmary. We thought you might feel more comfortable."

"Okay," Daniel murmured, staring down at the clothing he held. He brought his head back up and looked at Jack. "I'm sorry I was so short with you when you came to talk to me earlier. I just had a lot of information to take in and…"

"Don't worry about it," Jack dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I overreacted. Like you better with the glasses on, by the way. You want to get dressed so I can show you your new residence?"

Daniel blinked. "Um, sure." He looked at Janet. "I'm really all right?"

The doctor nodded. "All my tests came up clear. I'm still working on a possibility for your amnesia, assuming the cause isn't what we talked about earlier, but that's going to take some more in-depth digging."

"That makes sense."

"We'll give you some privacy to get changed and be back in five minutes," Janet told him, grabbing Jack by the arm and dragging him out of the room.

As promised, five minutes later, the two returned, Daniel having changed into the clothes he'd been given and looking much more like the Daniel Jackson they remembered. Janet promised to have Daniel's blue robes cleaned and delivered to his new room then shooed the men off. Jack gladly led the way, watching out of the corner of his eye as Daniel looked around in subdued awe at their surroundings.

The expression created a couple of different emotions in Jack. On the one hand, it was somewhat painful that he didn't remember the place he'd spent so much of the five years before he'd ascended. On the other hand, it was great seeing that familiar look of curiosity and awe that Daniel tended to wear when he walked into a new situation. It had been far too long since Jack had seen that, far too long even before Oma had helped Daniel reach that higher plane of existence. It occurred to Jack that maybe that was one of the reasons he had resented Jonas for so long. Jonas had been a lot like Daniel had been in the beginning, eager and curious, if more willing to follow orders.

Those thoughts took the pair to the door of Daniel's new room, where Jack quickly shook off the thoughtful mood and used his ID to unlock the door. Throwing the door open, he watched as Daniel calmly moved into the room then stop a couple of steps inside when he saw all the artifacts decorating the place.

Jack stayed in the doorway. "It's not exactly home, but we unpacked some of your stuff."

Daniel moved over to a dresser on the right hand wall and picked up a thick wooden mask faded with age. "You kept all this even though you thought I was dead."

"To be honest we tossed out a ton of junk." Jack had to fight back a grin when Daniel's head snapped back to look at him. "Okay, okay, we didn't really throw out all that much. Just stuff we were absolutely sure wasn't valuable. This is only a small part of what's in storage. There's no way I could have fit everything in here."

Daniel shook his head and smiled slightly as he wandered over to the foot of the bed, where the leather satchel he'd been wearing when he came to the SGC was lying. He'd heard a note of fondness in the older man's voice, and it somewhat surprised him how good it made him feel. "Someone cleaned this up. I remember it was caked in mud last I saw it."

"You can thank Teal'c for that," Jack said, taking a step into the room. "When I told him I was setting up this room for you, he insisted on it."

"I'll be sure to do that," Daniel muttered, then drifted around to a nightstand where a picture of Sha're sat.

"I kept a few of your personal things alive there," Jack said softly when he realized what had captured his friend's attention.

Daniel picked up the picture and looked at it closely. "I know her."

Jack's eyes narrowed slightly. "Really?" he asked in a forced neutral tone. He squashed down the feeling of hope that insisted on bubbling up at the remark.

Daniel sighed. "I mean, I must, right? You wouldn't have put her picture by my bed if I didn't know her." He shook his head. "Something's there, I just can't see it."

"Don't beat yourself up so badly," Jack told him, suddenly understanding the struggle the other man was going through. Daniel really did want to remember, but he couldn't yet, and it was frustrating the hell out of him. "Your memories aren't just going to reappear in a puff of smoke and a roar of applause."

"That's quite a turnaround," Daniel said after a long moment, turning around to face Jack.

"What do you mean?"

The younger man's eyebrows rose. "When we talked this morning, you didn't seem to understand what was going on with me, or want to hear me when I tried to tell you."

Jack shrugged. "I told you, I overreacted."

Daniel nodded. "I know." He considered the other man. "I think I'll just say thank you for reconsidering everything. I appreciate the support."

Jack sighed. "Look, Daniel, I'm not good with emotions, and even worse with expressing them. You're right, I reconsidered everything, and figured out I'd been an ass. You and everyone else deserved better than that. So here we are. And you're welcome."

"Okay," Daniel replied, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

"Is there anything else I can help you with here, or should I just leave you to think things over?"

Daniel smiled. "Well, I know I'm supposed to try to remember things on my own, so I guess I'll be okay here."

Jack returned the expression and gestured to the picture frame Daniel still held. "I don't think it'll take you long to remember her, by the way. Just so you know." He winked and withdrew, closing the door behind himself.

Daniel merely shook his head at the closed door. After a moment of further contemplation of the woman in the picture, he replaced the frame on the nightstand and searched through one of the bookshelves in the room. He grabbed a volume that caught his eye and laid down on the bed to read through it, feeling the best he had yet about the life he was still learning about.

* * * * * * * *

Three hours later Daniel started awake, sitting up sharply and catching his breath. Out of instinct he reached for the picture on the bedside table, grabbing the glasses that had fallen off his face in his sleep with his other hand and putting them back on. He had been right; he _did_ know her. And even better, he _remembered_ her.

He just had to share this news, had to let his friends know the memories were really there and starting to come back. Clinging to the picture, he flew to the door, yanking it open and coming to a complete and sudden halt at the sight of the airman stationed on the other side.

"Is there something wrong, Doctor Jackson?" the man asked, startled himself by the unexpected appearance.

"Um, no, no, nothing wrong," Daniel stammered before collecting himself. "Are you here to keep me from going anywhere?" he asked a bit warily.

"No, sir," the airman answered. "I've been stationed here in case you're in need of any assistance."

"Oh." Daniel considered it for a moment and realized this was a good thing. He had no idea where he was going in this place. "Could you take me to Colonel O'Neill, please? There's something I'd like to speak with him about."

"I'm sorry, sir," the airman said apologetically, "but Colonel O'Neill has gone home for the evening. If it's important, though, I can have him called back in…"

Daniel shook his head. "No, no, that won't be necessary. Um, what about Major Carter?"

The airman thought for a second. "I believe she and her ward have turned in. I can have her paged, though…"

"No, don't wake her up." Daniel decided to ask about the ward later. Something about the concept seemed off, but not enough to make him set aside his current concerns. "Would Teal'c be available?"

"I believe he would be," the airman said, happy to finally be able to give a positive answer. "His quarters are at the other end of this hall." He pointed to the door directly facing Daniel's at the other end of the short hall.

"Thank you," Daniel said, unconsciously squeezing the picture frame for a moment.

It wasn't long before he stood before the other door, the one he'd been told his friend resided behind. He took a quick breath and went inside after a quick knock, again jerking himself to a halt when he saw Teal'c seated on the floor, lit candles flickering all around the room. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

Teal'c gave him a small smile. "You are not. I am unable to kel'no'reem as I once did, since I began using tretonin."

The unexpected explanation had Daniel blinking. "That sounds complicated."

"Indeed. Enter." Teal'c effortlessly pushed himself to his feet and watched as Daniel walked over to the chair by his bed. He gestured for his visitor to be seated, doing the same on the edge of the bed closest to him.

"Her name is Sha're," Daniel said with a smile as he showed Teal'c the picture he was carrying.

Teal'c smiled and nodded. "Yes," he confirmed.

"No one told me that. I remembered it by myself." Daniel glanced down at the woman's image for a moment. "I dreamed about her, and when I woke up I knew her name."

"That is good news, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c continued to smile, even as a small part of him cringed. While it made sense that Daniel's wife would be the first person he would truly remember, the Jaffa couldn't help but wish it had been someone else - for both their sakes.

"I knew earlier that I had a chance to get my memories back, but this proves it. A real, solid, specific memory… They're all there, waiting for me."

Teal'c gave a single nod of the head. "Indeed."

Daniel's smile grew wider. "So where is she?" He watched as Teal'c's smile faded, the large man suddenly swallowing hard as his jaw muscle clenched. Daniel's own smile began to disappear as realization set in. "She's dead."

Teal'c bowed his head in silent affirmation and couldn't bring his gaze back up.

A wave of emotion washed over Daniel, and he stared down at the picture in his hands. "I loved her very much," he said matter-of-factly, sorrow in his eyes.

Teal'c finally looked at him again, now with a hint of tears in his own brown orbs. He waited for what he was sure would come next.

"This isn't fair," Daniel said as he set the frame onto the table beside Teal'c's bed face down. "The first person I love that I really remember is gone." He returned his gaze to his friend and paused. Guilt and grief were eating the Jaffa from the inside out. Why? "What… what happened? Why do you look like…" More memories started to come into focus, and Daniel was able to put enough together to answer his own question. He swallowed as his eyes widened slightly. "I forgave you, Teal'c. I still forgive you. I know you had a very good reason for what you did."

"I have not forgiven myself, Daniel Jackson. I do not believe I ever shall."

"Oh, God, Teal'c," Daniel whispered, fighting back his own tears as the intertwined memories of his love and his friend rushed back with the flood of emotions he found himself feeling. He clenched his eyelids shut.

Teal'c's jaw muscle twitched as he held back his own emotions, but he could not remain silent. "I will understand if you would no longer wish to speak with me in regards to such sensitive matters," he gritted out.

Daniel's eyes snapped open, a few tears slipping down his cheeks at the action. "You're my friend, Teal'c. I can't imagine anyone more appropriate to share these first memories with." His mouth twitched upward in a shaky smile. "No one else could really understand this. I meant what I said. I still forgive you."

The two friends shared a long, deep, silent gaze that communicated far more effectively than words the truth of their understanding of each other. Their fates had interlocked long ago; now they would continue on their journeys together once again.

Daniel finally took a long, deep breath and released it, breaking the gaze as he closed his eyes to gather himself once more. "Why would Oma put me through this?" he muttered, opening his eyes and letting his head fall back to stare at the ceiling.

"You know of Oma Desala?" Teal'c asked. He didn't think anyone had said anything to Daniel about the Ancient who had helped him ascend just over a year ago.

"Doctor Fraiser told me about her when I asked her what Jack had meant when he said I'd been ascended," the younger man explained. He took another deep breath to control a sudden surge of anger. "She's supposed to be a powerful being, right?"

"That is correct."

"Then why would she do this? If she wanted me to forget…" Daniel pounded a fist into his open palm.

"You often spoke of the rules to which you were subjugated as one of the Ascended. Perhaps she was required to erase your memories by law of the Others. But as your friend and mentor, she wished you one day to regain them."

"You're saying she cheated, she found a way around the rules?"

Teal'c tilted his head slightly to the side. "You do not agree?"

Daniel paused and considered it. "If you're right, there has to be a reason. Beyond a personal one. What is it about me that's so important?"

Teal'c couldn't help but smile. "I am afraid my own answer to that question would be quite personal indeed, and I cannot speak for Oma Desala. Perhaps when you regain your memories, the answer will be found within them."

Daniel sighed. "Then the path to that answer is going to be one hell of a ride." He met Teal'c's gaze, and they both knew just how true that statement was. The brown-haired man shrugged. "Might as well start it now. Tell me about this Anubis." There was a slight sneer in his voice when he said the Goa'uld's name. "Why'd I break the rules to fight him?"

"Do you not believe it wise to remember on your own accord?"

"No," Daniel replied immediately. "I need to know why this is happening to me, and I have a feeling it all starts with him."

Teal'c thought about Daniel's point, and realized it was valid. He solemnly nodded his agreement, and the pair talked long into the night.


	15. Chapter 14

_Author's Notes: First and foremost, I want to thank every one of you that has stuck with me and this story thus far. Your support means everything to me. For now, my muse seems happy enough to continue riding this train, so hopefully there won't be quite as large a gap in time between this chapter and the next. And now, enjoy!_

* * *

The next morning, Sam was in her lab working on the search for a new planet for the refugees that were still at the SGC, Danny on a computer just out of arm's reach and out of the way. They'd shared a pleasant breakfast in the commissary, where Jack had joined them and told his 2IC about the new arrangements for Daniel. Sam was extraordinarily pleased with the development, both for what it meant for Daniel and for what it showed about Jack's acceptance of the whole situation.

The two of them hadn't been at their tasks long when a deferential knock sounded on the open door of the room. When Sam looked up she was shocked to see Daniel standing in the doorway. "Well, hi, Daniel," she greeted the brown-haired man, her face lighting up in delight. "What brings you here?"

Daniel returned her smile and moved into the room, coming to stand at the end of the lab table next to Sam and glancing curiously at the small boy who was staring at him intently. "I… I had something of a breakthrough last night, and thought I should share it with you." He shot a quick look around the lab, his brow creasing in thought as Sam's expression brightened even more. "I've… been in here before, haven't I? I've been here a number of times."

"You definitely have," Sam told him with a laugh. "We worked together a lot." She looked at Danny for a moment and gave him a reassuring look, and noticed that her comment had somewhat relaxed the wary tension in the way he was holding his frame.

"We… we shared… drinks together… coffee?"

"I've never tried so many different kinds of gourmet coffee as I have since I met you," Sam confirmed.

Daniel blinked. "I drank a lot of coffee?"

The blonde astrophysicist fought back a bark of laughter. "Yes," she said simply. She cleared her throat. "So what was this breakthrough you said you had? Did you remember something?"

Daniel's smile returned, although not quite as brightly. "Jack set up some of my things in a room some time yesterday afternoon, and there was a picture of a dark-haired woman on the stand next to the bed. I didn't know her at first sight. I fell asleep reading one of the books that had been in the room, and I dreamed about the woman - and then I woke up and knew her name was Sha're." He took a deep breath and released it, neither he nor Sam noticing Danny taking an extreme interest in the revelations.

"Oh, Daniel," Sam whispered. There were so many bad things that could go along with that memory; she could only hope they hadn't hit him yet.

"I know she's dead. I talked with Teal'c after I woke up, and… I started to remember things as we talked."

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I wish you could have started with a happier memory." Sam reached out and squeezed his arm, giving him a small sympathetic smile.

Daniel smiled in response, grateful for the sentiment. "They weren't all bad. Sha're and I had a lot of great memories, too."

Sam gave his arm another squeeze and let her arm fall back to her side. "Did you remember anything else?" She fought hard to keep the eagerness out of her voice.

"Some," Daniel confirmed. "And I've found that more bits and pieces are coming to me the more I wander around and talk to people I knew before." His smile brightened. "Actually, the longer I stay here in your lab the more comfortable I feel. It seems natural to me."

"I'm so glad," Sam said, nearly bouncing in her seat with excitement. "You belong here. Like I said before, we worked together a lot. Sometimes we were in your office, but most of the time it was here."

Daniel nodded, then let his eyes drift back to Danny. "Um, Sam, I know I don't remember everything about you, or about the time we spent together, but something about a child doesn't really fit. Am I totally off base?"

Sam's eyes widened for a moment, realizing the moment to tell her friend about her ward had come sooner than she'd been expecting. She reached over and rubbed Danny's back then gave the man on her other side her attention. "No, you're right. I didn't have a child while you were here. We found Daniel here two months ago at an NID lab in northern Colorado, in the mountains. I've become his guardian, and he lives with me." She smiled at the little boy. "And I'm so happy that he does."

Danny returned the expression shyly. "I am, too," he whispered.

"Wow," Daniel murmured, then frowned. "NID… I don't feel good about that for some reason. I'm getting a few fuzzy thoughts that are pretty negative."

"I'm not surprised. The NID is a civilian-run organization that plays watchdog to top secret projects like ours, and they haven't always been the most ethical of groups. We've had our share of run-ins with them." Sam scowled lightly at the memories.

Daniel's eyes closed in thought. "They… tried to take Teal'c once, didn't they? Something about a giant bug…" His eyes snapped open and he shot a wide-eyed look at Danny. "Oh, I don't think I should have said that in front of him."

Danny gave him a reassuring smile, evidence of his returning memories putting the child completely at ease. This was Sam's friend and a member of SG-1; everything would be fine. "I know about the NID," he said softly. "It's okay."

Sam nodded, surprised at how fast Danny had warmed up to Daniel but putting it aside to deal with later. Sabrina would want to know about this one, that was for sure. "Danny knows all about our missions. You can talk freely in front of him."

"So what was he doing in an NID lab?" Daniel asked.

"Um, I think I should explain that later," Sam told him, unconsciously rubbing the boy's back again.

"Why?" Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes. If the child knew about everything, why would talking about where he came from be a problem?

Sam took a deep breath and gave Danny a soft look. She should have seen that question coming a mile off. She returned her gaze to her friend and smiled gently. "There are some pretty traumatic memories for Danny. It would be best to talk about later, maybe after I put him down for a nap. Is that all right? It's not that I don't want to tell you."

Daniel smiled, relieved there was a good, logical explanation. He didn't want to feel like Sam was hiding things from him. It was important to him that he could trust her. "I understand. We can talk about it later then." He aimed his smile at the boy. "I don't want to make you feel bad, Daniel."

Danny returned the expression. "Thank you." He knew the man was sincere, and something about him made Danny want to trust him right away.

"So you remember about Teal'c getting stung by that giant bug?" Sam asked after a brief pause.

"I'm starting to," Daniel agreed. "With a little time, the memories should sort themselves out. That's what happened with Sha're and Anubis after I spoke with Teal'c."

"Anubis?" Sam asked, surprised yet again.

Daniel nodded. "I wanted to know why Oma would put me in this situation, with no memories presumably as punishment for interfering, yet I was beginning to remember. And since everything seemed to happen because of Anubis, I needed to find out about him. Teal'c was kind enough tell me what I wanted to know."

Sam blinked. "Then your memories are coming back pretty quickly."

"I guess." Daniel shrugged. "There are still a lot of holes, but they're filling in slowly but surely. Once Doctor Fraiser told me who I really was, things started to click. I just needed time to sort everything out." He smiled at Sam. "Thank you for being willing to give me that time. I'm not sure you can understand how much I appreciate it."

"Anytime, Daniel," Sam whispered in return. "I'm just so glad you've come back. I don't think _you_ can understand how glad _I_ am, that we all are."

The two friends share a fond look, then Sam rose to her feet and engulfed the brown-haired man in a warm embrace. Daniel heartily returned it. They shared another smile once they pulled apart.

Daniel cleared his throat after the gaze went on a second or two too long. "Well, I think I'm going to get going. I should tell Jack about what happened last night."

Sam blinked again. "You mean you haven't told him yet?"

Daniel shook his head. "Not yet. Doctor Fraiser brought me my breakfast this morning - to give me one last chance at a calm morning before everyone finds out I'm back she said - and then I came here. As much as Jack was great about getting me moved out of the infirmary and into a private room, there's something about my first couple of interactions with him that made me hesitate about going to him first." He sighed. "But I don't want to leave him out. He deserves to hear about my progress from me."

"That would be best," Sam assured him, knowing just how true that was.

"Then I'm going to go." The man couldn't hold back a half-smirk. "This should be interesting." His expression turned into a gentle and slightly tentative smile. "Will you come by to talk after Daniel here has been put down for his nap?"

Sam nodded. "You bet. You'll be in your quarters around two this afternoon?"

"I'll make sure of it."

They shared one last smile, then Daniel left.

Sam looked at Danny. "I guess you were right. We're not going to let anyone keep Daniel from getting his memories back."

Danny gave her a tiny grin. "Not anyone," he repeated with a sharp nod.

Sam gave him a brief, tight squeeze, and the two of them went back to their projects.

* * *

Daniel paused outside Jack's office to take a deep breath and release it. The man inside had proved to be causing a confusing bundle of emotions and memories for him, at least the memories that were clear. He somehow knew there were more coming that would muddy the waters even more, which made laying a new foundation with Jack even more important. He wanted to be sure there was something solid and recent to balance out everything that was coming.

The brown-haired man knocked on the closed door, then entered when he was bid to do so. He saw Jack sitting behind his desk, frowning slightly as he looked over some papers in a beige file folder. Closing the door behind himself, he took an extra step into the room and waited for the other man to look up.

It didn't take long. Surprise transformed Jack's features when he realized who his quiet visitor was. "Daniel," he greeted the younger man after a couple of beats. "You're out and about, I see."

"I needed to stretch my legs," Daniel replied with a shrug. "And I thought walking around might help with my memories."

"Not a bad thought," Jack agreed. The two were silent for a long moment before the colonel spoke again. "So, is there something you needed from me? Not that you couldn't just come for a visit, but…" The look in his eyes was a little wary, reading the slight bout of nerves his friend was apparently suffering from.

"Nothing I need, exactly." Daniel sighed and squared his shoulders. "I remembered Sha're last night," he said simply.

Jack blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. And certainly not so soon. "Okay," he said in return, stretching out the word. There had to be more to it.

Daniel's eyebrows rose. "You knew?"

Jack shook his head. "Nope, can't say that I did. But I get the feeling you've got more to say. Just what did you remember?"

"At first I just remembered her name," Daniel said with another sigh. "More came back when I talked with Teal'c."

"So you know…"

"That she's dead? That Teal'c killed her to save me? Yes."

Jack dropped his gaze to the desk for a moment. He was hoping that one wouldn't come back for a while. "Are you okay?" he asked as he brought his eyes up again.

Daniel nodded. "As things keep falling into place, I'm finding myself at peace with them. There's a shock that comes with the more traumatic memories, of course, but it fades relatively quickly."

"Do you remember _why_ Teal'c shot Sha're?" Jack asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Um… Actually, that's a bit fuzzy," Daniel replied, surprised. He hadn't thought about that yet. His discussion with the Jaffa had revolved around Anubis. "I know she was taken, and Teal'c had something to do with it… And Sha're was… hurting me… which is why Teal'c was forced to kill her…" The brown-haired man gave the man sitting across from him a questioning look. "Why haven't I remembered what was wrong with my wife? That doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know about that," Jack said thoughtfully, sitting back in his chair. "I wouldn't want to remember if I were you, at least not right away. That whole thing still gives me the creeps."

Daniel's expression turned exasperated. "Don't be an ass, Jack," he snapped, making Jack sit up sharply at the familiar tone. "Stop dancing around the subject and just tell me what you know. I wantto remember, no matter how bad it is."

Jack blinked at him and had to fight back a wide grin. Oh yeah, Daniel was back. "Apophis chose her to be the host for his queen, Amaunet," he explained. "It was really the Goa'uld that was attacking you when Teal'c shot her, not Sha're."

"Oh." Daniel frowned slightly. "I think I'm starting to remember that," he said after a long moment. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," Jack said a bit awkwardly.

Daniel shook his head with a small smile that told Jack he was grateful for the sentiment but it was unnecessary. "Some things make a little more sense now," the brown-haired man said softly.

Jack sat back and watched his friend, uncertain what to say next. Finally he just released a loud breath and leaned forward to lean on his desk. "Look, I don't know what to say to you, Daniel. I guess I really shouldn't say much, since you're supposed to remember things on your own."

Daniel shrugged. "There's nothing else _to_ say, Jack." He took a deep breath and released it. "I've also started to remember things about Anubis. That's mostly what Teal'c and I talked about last night."

"Hold on a second," Jack said, holding up a hand, palm out. "You _talked_ about Anubis last night? Why do I get the feeling this wasn't just you reminiscing about the good old days?"

"Don't start, Jack, and don't get upset with Teal'c," Daniel said firmly. "I was trying to figure out why Oma did this with my memory, and everything seemed to point to Anubis. It seemed like the best way to work things out, and Teal'c agreed." He closed his eyes and blew out a breath. "I think it worked out pretty well," Daniel said as he refocused on Jack. "I remember more about SG-1 and the things we did before I ascended. That should be a plus, shouldn't it?"

"Depends on what you remember," Jack said, unsuccessfully fighting back a small smile.

Daniel found himself returning the expression. "Something you want to hide?"

Jack grinned for a moment then sobered. "Actually, I think I should tell you something a little more personal. Some of the memories of things that happened… some of the things that happened between you and me… some of the things I said… that I did…" Jack's voice trailed off as he found it difficult to articulate what felt he should warn the younger man about. There had been some tough times and some nasty confrontations that they'd shared. And he didn't even want to think about when he'd gone undercover and told Daniel their friendship had no foundation. But he just could not find the words.

Luckily Daniel saved him from needing to solve his dilemma. "Jack, you don't have to tell me anything. I've already got the feeling we had our ups and downs - and that they were some pretty spectacular ones. We'll deal with those memories as they come… as long as you're willing." Blue eyes searched brown carefully.

"I'm willing," Jack told him earnestly.

"Then we should be just fine," Daniel replied simply. He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I think I'm going to go get myself some lunch. Did you want to join me?"

Jack's smile returned. "That sounds good. I could use some pie." He stood up and headed for the door.

Daniel shook his head as he smiled. "For some reason I'm not surprised to hear you say that."

"And did I mention that you owe me fifty bucks?"

Daniel just rolled his eyes as he followed the other man out of the room.

* * *

Soon after Daniel had left the lab, Danny finished his language lesson and chose to draw until lunch when Sam offered him the choice. When the time came, Sam closed down her computer with a satisfied sigh and moved behind the little boy who looked like he was putting the finishing touches on his drawing.

"I think it's time to get something to eat," she said gently. She shared a soft smile with Danny when he looked up at her, then glanced at the fully-formed picture in front of him as he started to clean up his supplies. The upper left-hand corner was filled with an amazing recreation of the SG-1 patch, and five people stood together in the center of the paper. She recognized herself in the middle, while Jack and Jonas stood to her immediate left and right, Daniel just beyond Jonas and Teal'c on the other side of Jack.

Sam smiled. Danny had drawn another wonderful picture of SG-1 and… Sam blinked. He'd drawn SG-1, _all_ of SG-1. It served as a timely reminder - and gave her an idea. "What do you think about asking Jonas to join us for lunch, Danny?" she asked thoughtfully. It was about time she reassured the Kelownan that he still had a place at the SGC, and SG-1 in particular.

Danny gave her another smile. "I'd like that."

"Then that's what we'll do. Let's go find him."

Guardian and ward made their way to level eighteen and Jonas' office, finding him once again working on the tablet SG-1 had brought home from Abydos. He looked up at the knock on the door. "Oh, hi, Sam. Hi, Daniel," he greeted them with a smile.

The two visitors returned the expression. "Hi, Jonas," Sam said. She gestured at the tablet. "Are you making any headway?"

Jonas shrugged. "Some. I'm not sure if I've found any answers, but I've managed to translate some of the text." He gave a little sigh. "It's a bit of an uphill struggle."

"Then why don't you take a break and join Danny and me for lunch?" Sam offered. "We haven't had a chance to talk lately, at least when there wasn't a crisis to solve."

"Me?" Jonas blurted involuntarily. "But what about…" He snapped his mouth shut and dropped his eyes to the carved stone in front of him.

Sam flinched at the aborted sentence. "Jonas, you're still my friend and teammate," she said gently. "Yes, I am overjoyed that it looks like Daniel is back with us. But that hasn't made me forget how important you've become to me, to everyone here."

Jonas shook his head as he brought his gaze back up. "Sam, I know better. Daniel Jackson means more to the SGC and SG-1 than I do. And now that he's back, everything can go back to the way they should be. I'll do what I can to help, of course, whatever's needed, if only because I owe everyone here whatever I can give for taking me in when I left Kelowna under some pretty horrible circumstances."

"You are my friend," Sam repeated firmly. "You are my teammate. Nothing has happened that changes that." There was a silent moment filled only with the two adults staring each other in the eye, the child next to Sam watching them carefully. "Now come on," the blonde physicist said finally. "Lunch is calling. Work can wait."

"All right," Jonas conceded with a tiny smile. If one looked close enough, it could be seen that the shadows in the man's blue-green eyes had retreated somewhat. "I wonder what they're serving," he pondered as he rose and joined the other two in heading out of the office.

"It's the SGC commissary. I don't think it matters," Sam replied with a twist of her lips.

Danny just giggled as he took Sam's hand, happy that things looked like they were working out for his favorite team.

* * *

Sam, Jonas, and Danny walked into the commissary and found Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c sitting at a table in the far corner. From the amount of food still on their plates, they most likely had just sat down. Jack saw the trio enter the room and waved. "I'm glad to see the rest of my team made it," the colonel said expansively. "Grab your food and come sit with us."

Jonas started a bit at the declaration. "Did Colonel O'Neill send you to get me?" he asked Sam as they grabbed trays and got in line.

"No, asking you to lunch was my own idea. I didn't know the others would be here."

Jonas said nothing more as the trio got their lunches and joined the others as requested. "Glad to see you out and about," Jack said to the Kelownan as he sat down next to Teal'c and diagonally across from Daniel.

"Sam invited me to lunch," Jonas replied with a shrug, only meeting the colonel's gaze briefly before looking down at his tray.

"Then good for you, Carter," Jack commended his second in command seated to Daniel's right and directly across from Jonas.

"Thank you, sir," Sam said with a restrained smile. "Danny and I thought it was a good idea." She let her smile bloom fully as she looked to her right at her ward, who blushed.

Jack noticed Daniel shooting Jonas subtle, curious looks as the group began eating. "Oh, crap, I think I forgot something," he said suddenly, making everyone look at him. He gestured at man sitting across from Sam. "Daniel, that's Jonas Quinn. He's a member of SG-1. Now, don't worry if you don't remember much about him; you met him right before you… left."

Daniel gave the older man a small smile. "You can say ascended, Jack. I know about that."

"Yeah, well, it's still awkward," Jack muttered.

"It's good to meet you again," Daniel said to Jonas. "Hopefully I'll remember you soon."

Jonas gave him a shaky smile. "Yeah," he said softly, the horrible images of what happened on his home planet the first time SG-1 visited flashing through his head. He couldn't help but wish Daniel wouldn't have to remember that, even if it meant Jonas himself would never be recalled. "I'm glad you're back, Doctor Jackson. You've been missed."

Daniel's eyes narrowed briefly, the man catching the mournful undertone then letting it go. "So I've been told," he replied lightly.

"Jonas Quinn speak the truth," Teal'c added. "You have been missed not only by the members of SG-1, but by all of the SGC and many of our allies."

"You're just a popular guy," Jack said.

Sam merely gave Daniel a smile of agreement as she squeezed his arm briefly.

Teal'c then turned his attention to Jonas. "While we could never truly replace you, Daniel Jackson, we were fortunate to find another worthy warrior in Jonas Quinn."

Jonas sat up straight at the remark, blinking in surprise. His mouth opened and shut a couple of times, yet no words came out.

"I think you've left our teammate speechless, T," Jack said with a smirk.

"Indeed."

The meal went on, the mood light and the conversation casual. It was definitely something they would all look back on later as a true team moment.

* * *

Danny happily laid down for his nap that afternoon, even falling asleep with a smile on his face. Sam shared the child's upbeat mood; lunch had been wonderful. It felt great to have Daniel sitting next to her once again, and Jonas had seemed to begin to understand he still had a place with them. Yeah, life was good.

She took one last look at the clock in the VIP room she and Danny were using and quietly slipped out to head for Daniel's room as she promised earlier. The thought of the explanation she was about to deliver sobered her somewhat, but she was sure things would be all right. The whole situation with Danny had come about because of the NID. Daniel's flash of memory had given him enough insight to know what that meant. Besides, Danny's arrival had turned out to be a blessing.

Once Sam reached her destination and gave a nod to the SF stationed there, she rapped shortly on the door and went inside, just as she'd done numerous times in the past. With Daniel's propensity to working late nights - and her own - he wasn't unfamiliar with staying on base overnight. If he wasn't in his office, she knew where to find him. She'd slip inside after a soft knock and check if he was sleeping, and if he was she merely slipped out again. Daniel had done the same, although not nearly as often; his manners and sense of propriety usually kept things to knocking unless there was something he was especially excited about. Everything that had happened that day had taken Sam blissfully back to the past and happier days and made it easy to slip into old patterns.

The door had barely shut behind her when she came to a sudden, shocked halt, her eyes widening dramatically. Just stepping out of the suite's bathroom was a nearly naked Daniel Jackson, hair wet and sticking up all over the place and only a towel around his waist between him and complete immodesty. He had frozen in place at the sight of his unexpected visitor, giving Sam more than enough time to reflexively look him over. When had Daniel gotten so… buff? Did the Ascended have some kind of weight training regimen on that higher plane of theirs? Gone was the awkward scholar she'd known, and in his place stood this sculptured specimen of manhood, his crystal blue eyes sparkling in the artificial light of the room and his skin beginning to flush slightly.

It was this last observation along with a somewhat embarrassed clearing of the throat that brought Sam back to her senses, making her jump a bit and spin around so her back was to the man who had just come out of the shower. "I'm so sorry!" she blurted as she bore a hole in the wall with her mortified gaze, fully back in the present. "It's just that I used to… I was only… I didn't mean…"

"It's okay," Daniel said finally, cutting off her stammering explanations. He went over to the bed where he had laid out a set of BDUs along with some undergarments and picked them up. "I was in such a hurry to let you know about my new memories when I woke up this morning that I forgot to take a shower, and I didn't realize it was so late when I got back from lunch and talking with Jack." He smiled, although Sam couldn't see it. "Just let me get dressed and we can talk. I'll be back in a little bit." He went back into the bathroom and closed the door.

At the sound of the click, Sam released a loud breath and rolled her eyes. What in the world had she been thinking, just walking in like that? Not that she hadn't enjoyed the sight, a rebellious part of her mind commented. She quickly shushed it and shunted the memory replay to the back of her mind where she hoped it would just fade away. She was supposed to be rebuilding the trust they had shared before Daniel had ascended. What in the world was he going to think now? At least he hadn't asked her to leave. That was a plus.

It wasn't long before Daniel came back into the room fully dressed. "So," he said as he walked over to the bed and sat down, drawing out the word as he watched his visitor.

"I am so sorry," Sam repeated, turning around and stepping to the end of the bed. "I should have waited for you to invite me in when I knocked, and not just…"

"I should have locked my door," Daniel cut her off with a smile. His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered her. "I take it we were pretty comfortable with each other. I… think I can sort of remember that. The feeling, anyway."

"Yeah, we were," Sam confirmed. "But that doesn't excuse me doing it now. You barely know me, and here I come traipsing into your room…"

Daniel waved to cut her off. "You know I'm starting to get some memories back, and we all had a good time at lunch. I think you're allowed to get caught up in the good feelings. And I'm not about to die from a little bit of embarrassment that I'm already pretty much over. We don't need to make a big deal out of this."

Sam took a deep breath and released it. Looking at him, she could see that he was telling her the truth. His blush had almost completely faded, and his voice was as steady as the gaze he had leveled at her. It had just been an accident, and he knew it. It was time to let it go. "Thanks for being so understanding," she said, again ignoring the little voice in the back of her mind that requested a repeat performance at a later date. She'd deal with that later. Much later.

"We're friends," Daniel said simply, then cleared his throat and patted the bed beside him. "Now why don't you take a seat and explain to me how that little boy came into your life?"

"I suppose I should start by explaining something," Sam said as she did as requested. "While there _are_ some very traumatic memories for Danny, there's another reason I didn't want to go into details about where he came from."

"Another reason?"

Sam nodded. "It's part of the story; it won't take long for you to see what I'm talking about." She took a deep breath and released it once again. "Soon after the last time we saw you when you were ascended, the colonel got a call from a Doctor Maxwell MacDonald, who was working with a secret rogue NID lab in northern Colorado. They had managed to get a hold of genetic material from a number of SGC personnel, and with a stolen piece of alien technology they produced clones of twenty of us."

Daniel gave her an odd look, his brow creasing suspiciously. "Us? Does that happen to include the members of SG-1?"

Sam gave a short laugh. "You were always quick. Yes, the four of us were cloned: you, me, Teal'c, and Colonel O'Neill."

"And Jonas?"

"Jonas didn't join the team until after you'd ascended."

"Ah," Daniel said, nodding his understanding, something clicking in the back of his eyes. "Go ahead, keep going."

Sam swallowed. "When we got the information from Doctor MacDonald and found the coordinates he'd hidden in the files, we hurried to the lab to shut it down and save the children. The rogue agents fought to the death, unfortunately, and when Jonas got to the basement where the children were kept he discovered that they were dead." She cut herself off suddenly, the memory of Jonas' message over the radio echoing in her ears. The news had affected her deeply, and even now still struck her with horror.

Daniel reached over a placed a gentle hand on her arm. "If this is too hard for you, you can stop. I can wait to hear the story."

The blonde woman shook her head. "No, no, I'm all right. It's just… they were kids. And they were left down there…" She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment then sighed as she reopened them. "But Jonas found a trail of small bloody footprints leading out of the room, and he found Danny in a utility room. We ended up bringing him home with us."

There was a long moment of silence. "Danny's a clone of me, isn't he?" Daniel finally asked.

"Yes," Sam said softly and simply. "But he doesn't know he's a clone."

"That would be the main reason you didn't want to tell me this in your lab earlier," Daniel concluded with a nod of his head.

"He doesn't have any of your memories; he's just a little boy that shares your DNA."

"It's all right," Daniel said quickly. "I understand." He paused for a beat. "And now you've taken him in."

Sam relaxed at the gentle tone. "We brought in a psychologist, Doctor Sabrina Marconi, considering everything Danny had been through. We wanted to know what we could do to make sure he had the best chance at having as normal a childhood as possible. She said that a member of SG-1 needed to take him in since those were the only people he trusted. I ended up being the one to do it."

Daniel smiled. "It's made you very happy. You said as much earlier, but I can tell it's true just by looking at you." He paused and straightened, considering what he'd just said. "I really can." He shook his head. "It amazes me how much keeps slipping into place."

"I'm just grateful that your memories keep coming back," Sam said with a matching smile.

"Me too." Daniel gave a short chuckle then sobered. "Sam, I do have another question about what happened at the lab."

Sam blinked. "Um, go ahead and ask, Daniel."

Daniel licked his lips. "You said Danny had traumatic memories from the lab. What did you mean by that? They didn't hurt him, did they?"

Sam's brows furrowed and her gaze dropped. "Not directly," she admitted, almost with reluctance. She sighed. "The cloning process wasn't perfect. It left the children with under developed systems and a weak, degrading DNA structure. But the people running the lab isolated them, so it was thought they were safe from contamination." She looked up in time to see Daniel roll his eyes. She couldn't help but smile briefly. "I know, naïve. But they didn't take into account the possibility that one of their own would circumvent the rules and work around the kids while they were sick. The man infected them, and the flu virus came into contact with the weakened DNA, causing a rapid degeneration that killed the children."

"That doesn't sound like a pleasant way to go," Daniel commented, his expression one of controlled disgust.

"No, it doesn't," Sam agreed in a whisper. "I'm just glad I didn't see the aftermath."

Daniel shuddered and blew out a loud puff of breath. "So how is it Danny survived?"

Sam gave a slow shrug. "A whole lot of luck. Doctor MacDonald had recognized the early signs of the DNA degradation, before the children were exposed to the flu virus, and created a serum that would reverse it. But the people in charge of the lab refused to put it into use. Sabrina said that was the first time MacDonald realized what kind of agency he was working for, according to his diary. He tried to secretly give the serum to the children during a normal examination, but he was only able to inject Danny before he was caught. He was no longer allowed direct access to the kids, at least not without the medical doctor they had on staff present. Everything came crashing down not long after that."

Daniel shook his head. "I have to wonder why he picked Danny out of all the kids there."

"I know. Sabrina hasn't mentioned any reason, but there had to be one." She sighed again. "I can only be grateful, I guess."

"I also have to wonder why the people in charge would let all their test subjects die after going through all the trouble of creating them in the first place. I mean, it doesn't make any sense."

"This was one heck of a long-term plan," Sam explained. "They were hoping this batch could be successfully brought to maturity, of course, but another batch was going to be developed five years after the first. Most likely they were going to use what they learned from this run to perfect the next." She let her head fall back to stare at the ceiling as she blew out an explosive breath. "I just can't get over the fact that they just locked all the kids into their bunkroom when it became obvious they were dying."

Daniel blinked. "They did what?"

Sam brought her head back down and met his gaze once again. "One of the children reported feeling ill a few hours after being infected. A blood sample was taken and run through a piece of alien technology that allowed nearly instantaneous results. And that's when Doctor MacDonald and the M.D. found out what was going on. It was quickly decided that this experimental batch was a bust, and the children were later locked in the bunkroom after their normal morning routine of going to the bathroom and getting dressed right after they got up. Apparently that's when they saw the signs that the rest of the kids were suffering from the same symptoms as the first child."

The brown-haired man's eyes widened. "So Danny was locked in a room filled with nineteen dying children?"

"Yeah," Sam confirmed, subdued. "According to the records we've gone through, the children had been organized into four-person groups - correlated to the corresponding SG teams most likely, except for the base personnel, of course - that did all their activities together. So most likely, Daniel laid in his bed and was forced to watch the people he was closest to die in one of the most horrible ways imaginable."

Sam dropped her head and closed her eyes as she stated her conclusion, caught up in her sympathy for the little boy that had stolen her heart. And so she didn't see Daniel tense up sharply at her words, his gaze turning blank as he stared at the closed door. In fact, it took the sudden vice-like grasp of the arm closest to him to snap the physicist out of her sorrow. She gasped as she saw the hand that had shot out to take a hold of her in a white-knuckled grip.

"Daniel?" she asked, her tone thick with worry and confusion. She gasped again when Daniel started to shake. "Daniel!" she cried, trying to break the man's trance. She failed. "Come on, Daniel, talk to me. Tell me what's going on. Are you getting back some more memories? Oh, Daniel, please! Please talk to me!" There was still no response.

Sam could only watch helplessly as her friend's breathing became short and shallow and tears welled up in the crystal blue eyes. She was afraid to move - not that she was sure she could withdraw her arm from the hold it was in - and afraid to touch him or say anything more. She just wished she knew what in the world was going on.

"Mom! Dad! No!" Daniel finally cried, tears spilling down his cheeks.

And Sam knew what memory Daniel was getting back.

Her own mind filled with the scene from the New York Museum of Art, and her own eyes filled with tears. Oh god, why this memory? Why now? Placing a gentle hand over the one still fiercely locked onto her arm, she spoke. "Daniel. Daniel, come back to me, please. It's just a memory. I'm here for you, Daniel. Just come back to me."

Daniel started to blink furiously as the quiet words reached some part of him, the rapid movement of his eyelids causing more tears to stream down his face. "I know, Sam," he whispered, the words barely audible. "I know. Just like you were… then…" His brows creased with confusion, and further blinking brought him closer to the here and now. "This doesn't make any sense," he muttered, bringing a sharpened gaze down to his lap but making no move to remove his hand from Sam's gentle hold. "It's almost like… it happened twice, or… more." He shook his head. "One time I was alone, out of the way where no one noticed me, even when I yelled, and the other times you were there with me, comforting me when the stone fell again and again…" He finally looked the woman next to him in the eye. "What's going on, Sam? Why is this repeating in my head over and over again? It's just as painful with every replay."

Sam's watery eyes overflowed at the rare admission of the hurt Daniel was feeling, and she swallowed down a large lump in her throat before answering. "On one of our earlier missions, our team was caught in a virtual reality machine and split up into pairs, Teal'c with the colonel and me with you. That memory was the one chosen for you to relive."

"Why would anyone ask someone to relive such a painful memory? What was the point?" Daniel held up a hand and stopped Sam from answering, squeezing his eyes shut once again as he tilted his head slightly to the side. "The Keeper," he whispered after a long moment. "He was looking for something emotionally charged to provide entertainment for the people of the planet since they'd been stuck inside the virtual reality for around a thousand years." He opened his eyes once again. "Disturbing, but at least it makes sense."

"We managed to free the people," Sam told him as she shifted his hand into the hand of the arm it had been lightly resting on, knowing that information would be important to him.

"I think I remember that," Daniel mused, considering it. "It's falling into place." He locked gazes with Sam. "Thank you. Thank you for being there for me then, and thank you for being here for me now. I don't know how I would have handled that memory returning if I'd been alone."

Sam gave him a shaky smile then reached out and drew him into a one-armed hug, never letting go of the hand she still held. "I'm glad I could be here for you," she breathed next to his ear. She was rewarded with a tightening of the embrace that she immediately returned.

They drew apart a few moments later, their hands still interlocked. "That was really something," Daniel said.

Sam smiled. "No kidding." Then the expression faded somewhat. "But I can't help but wonder why you didn't react this way about Sha're and those memories. Those are a lot more recent."

"Well, I haven't actually gotten the memories of Sha're's kidnapping and death back," Daniel explained. "I know they happened, every part of me knows those things happened, but I haven't remembered the actual particulars yet." He sighed. "I'm not looking forward to that."

"I don't blame you. When it happens, don't be afraid to come to me - or any of us - if you need to talk." Sam gave him a sincere gaze with a bit of pain behind it. "You withdrew from us when it happened, and I'd hate to see you do that again."

Daniel saw the truth of that in her eyes, and just how much it had really hurt her. "I'll do my best. I just can't guarantee what my reaction's going to be. I don't want to hurt you again."

Sam shook her head. "It's more about you, really," she tried to assure him. "You went through all that alone, and I want you to know you don't have to do it that way this time."

He smiled with appreciation for her concern. "I understand." His shoulders slumped with a puff of breath. "I can't believe how tiring this has been."

"I can imagine," Sam said, giving his hand a light pat. "I should probably give you some time to adjust and get some rest, maybe even take a nap if you need it. We can get supper together later if you'd like."

"That sounds like a good idea," Daniel agreed. "Both the rest and the meal. Should I come to your lab when I'm ready?"

"That'll probably work best." Sam stood with one last squeeze of his hand before releasing it. "I'm going to go check on Danny before I get back to my search for a new home for our guests."

"Is that what you were working on this morning?"

Sam nodded. "Someone else took care of the interviews I was trying to conduct when we came across you in the infirmary and got me the information I needed to carry out the search. It shouldn't be too long before we have them settled on a new planet."

Daniel smiled. "That's good news. They took me in when I needed it, and I couldn't be more grateful. I want the best for them."

"So do I, for the same reason." Sam blinked when she realized how that might sound. "We'd do this anyway, of course."

"Of course," Daniel repeated, smiling.

Sam smacked his arm at the hint of teasing in his tone. "I'm going now. Get some rest, and I'll see you in my lab before dinner." She just shook her head and turned away to hide her own smile, leaving the room to the sound of low chuckling from her friend. Yes, things were going better than expected, and as the blonde physicist reached the elevator she sent up a prayer to whomever was listening that they stayed that way.


	16. Chapter 15

Daniel sorted his thoughts and emotions out in his head before he met Sam in her lab as promised, then shared an enjoyable meal with the astrophysicist and her ward. However, a brief encounter with a somber Jonas - he was leaving the commissary as they were entering - had the descended man thinking about something other than the discussion at the table. Something about him had Jonas feeling melancholy if he was reading things correctly, and he found himself experiencing an intense desire to find out what that something was.

Once Sam and Danny had bid him farewell and headed back to the major's lab, Daniel made his way to Jonas' office with the help of the SF assigned to him. He knocked on the open door and entered when he was bid to do so. He moved over to the table where the other man was leaning over a thick, cracked stone tablet, staring at it intently and periodically referencing an open book that lay to the right of it.

"Oh! Doctor Jackson!" Jonas blurted in surprise when he looked up and saw who his visitor was.

"Hi, Jonas," Daniel greeted him with a smile. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No, no, of course not!" Jonas said hurriedly. "How can I help you?"

Daniel gazed at him for a silent moment, taking in how nervous the other man seemed. "Do I bother you?" he asked finally.

Jonas blinked in surprise at the question. "Why would you ask?"

"You jumped about five feet into the air when you recognized me a minute ago, that's one clue," Daniel answered wryly. "As for another, both times when you saw me in the commissary your mood seemed to drop. Now I may not remember when and how we met, or what our relationship was like, but the signs aren't pointing to anything very positive. What's going on?"

"I'm not sure what to say," the Kelownan said with hesitation. "If you haven't remembered the way we met, it'll be difficult to explain how I'm feeling right now."

Daniel sighed and let his gaze fall to the tablet between the two of them. Suddenly Jonas' behavior was pushed aside in his mind as the crystal blue eyes widened dramatically behind the wire-framed glasses. "What is this?" he breathed, quickly moving around the table to see the engraved stone right side up.

Jonas stepped back and his eyebrows rose at the odd actions. "Um, this is the tablet we brought back from Abydos, the one you helped us find under the pyramid. The location of a powerful weapon is supposed to be written here, but I haven't been able to translate it yet."

Daniel nodded distractedly, his eyes never leaving the Ancient text. "The Lost City," he murmured. "This talks about a lost city." He began to run his fingers along the grooves of the block that made up the letters of the alien language.

"Do you understand this?" Jonas asked, shocked.

"Yes," the other man replied, still distracted.

"How do you know how to read this?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't know. I just do." He leaned in for a closer look at one particular section, then glanced at the open book next to the tablet. He frowned. "What's this?" he asked, pointing at the pages.

Jonas glanced at it. "That's your journal. I've been using it to help me…"

"I was way off. I mean, this is totally wrong." Daniel tilted his head slightly to the side. "Although I think I see why I went in this direction."

"If you can read this, we can find the weapon," Jonas said, starting to get excited. He paused. "We need to tell Colonel O'Neill."

"Let's wait on that," Daniel said, still reading the engraved words slowly. He placed a hand on either side of the stone and leaned in for a closer look, briefly pausing to readjust the desk lamp that was providing a spotlight on the area.

"Did you find something?"

Daniel shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I think I should be before we run around getting everyone excited over something I may not be able to deliver."

Jonas nodded. "Right." His eyes drifted over to the now useless journal and stared at it for a long moment, wishing there was a way he could help. "Maybe there is," he muttered, then went over to the bookshelf and pulled down another journal.

Daniel glanced at the other man when he opened the new book and started to flip through the pages. "What's that?" he asked.

"I was thinking that maybe the Asgard were closer to accurately translating Ancient than you were, and I'd be able to help that way," Jonas replied.

"It can't hurt," Daniel said with another shrug, then returned his attention to the tablet.

Jonas stopped turning pages when he reached the one he was looking for and looked it over. "You know, there's something that never made sense to me. How could the Ancients lose one of their cities? And if they did, why would they call it the Lost City? Why wouldn't they just call the city by its name?" He pointed at one of the words on the tablet. "There, _lacune_. According to this, that's 'of the lost'. City of the Lost makes more sense than the Lost City, don't you think?" He snapped his fingers and continued before Daniel could say anything. "Wait a minute! You mentioned something about a city that was under construction when the plague that started to wipe out the Ancients began. What if that's the city the tablet is talking about?"

Daniel looked up, blinking. "I mentioned that?"

"Well, there's a reference in a partial translation you were working on from the library of the four races," Jonas explained. Then he paused when he realized it wasn't much of an explanation considering Daniel's lack of memories. "Um, you'll understand once you remember."

"I'm sure I will." Then Daniel shook his head. "But you're wrong about the translation here. _Lacune_ doesn't mean 'of the lost'; it means 'to make lost', approximately. I'm going to guess that the Ancients camouflaged the city to hide it from those people who would try to find it, then removed all references to it from their written history."

"Oh." Jonas dejectedly shut the journal he held.

Daniel gave him a smile. "It was a good thought, though."

Jonas shrugged. "I suppose. But I guess I'm not going to be much help."

"Well, I don't know how I know the language, but I'd be happy to teach you how to read it," Daniel offered.

"That would be great," Jonas replied with a blossoming smile. "It shouldn't take too long; I'm a quick study."

"That's good to know." Daniel nodded at the tablet. "Let me take another look at this, since it's supposed to be important, then we can start if you'd like. Unless you have something else planned."

Jonas shook his head. "No, no, that would be fine. I was just going to work on the tablet anyway. Actually, while you look at that, I'll look over a translation I did for SG-22. Just let me know when you're ready." He put away the journal in his hand then picked up a file from his desk as his companion returned his gaze to the tablet under the desk lamp.

Daniel barely noted the soft flip of papers beside him, caught up in reading about some of the Ancients reaching ascension. Not long after, a tingling sensation in his right hand drew his attention away. At first he dismissed the feeling, attributing it to the heat from the desk lamp that was directly above it. But then something clicked inside his mind, and he found he could do nothing more than stare wide-eyed at the back of that hand. He never noticed his gaze becoming distant and his focus turn inward.

It was the change in the sound of Daniel's breathing that drew Jonas' attention away from his review of the report for SG-22. He looked up and was shocked to see the other man standing stiffly, his eyes locked on his right hand. "Doctor Jackson?" he asked hesitantly, not sure what was going on. "Are you all right?" He started to reach out for him.

"Don't touch me!" Daniel cried, twitching away. "Don't…" He stepped backward, his hip sliding along the edge of the desk.

"Okay…" Jonas could finally see how unfocused Daniel's gaze was, but didn't know what was going on. He slowly drew his hand back.

Daniel was practically hyperventilating. He took another step back from Jonas, then cringed and drew his arms in close to his torso. With a low groan, he collapsed to the floor, his eyes squeezing tightly shut.

Jonas gasped in horror and snatched at the phone. Once he placed a frantic call to Janet in the infirmary, all he could do was wait, still utterly confused as to what was going on. Daniel had gotten a clean bill of health, hadn't he? So what was this all about?

"What happened here?" Janet asked matter-of-factly as she and a couple members of her staff hurried in a few minutes later. She dropped to her knees beside her patient and began her examination.

"I'm not really sure. One second he was reading the tablet we brought back from Abydos, and the next he's breathing heavily and staring blankly at his hand. When I tried to take a hold of his arm to bring him back to reality, he yelled at me not to touch him, then took a step back and collapsed. Then I called you." Jonas never took his eyes off of Daniel throughout his explanation.

"Oh God, it hurts!" Daniel yelled as one of the nurses tried to check one of his arms for injury.

The nurse looked at Janet in confusion. "But I barely touched him," she said helplessly.

Janet's brows creased as she frowned in thought. "Daniel?" she asked gently, hoping she could draw her friend out. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Daniel's eyes popped open, but they were as unfocused as they'd been before. "Is it time to change the bandages?" he whispered. Then he shook his head ever so slightly. "I don't think it'll be much longer. I can feel it." He cringed and squeezed his eyes shut again.

"Daniel?" Janet gazed at him for another moment before realization dawned. "He's reliving a memory!" she exclaimed. "Something so intense he's been mentally drawn into it."

"But what is he remembering?" Jonas asked.

Janet shot him a sympathetic look. "I can't be sure, but I suspect it might be…"

Her sentence was cut off by a loud gasp from Daniel, followed by a heavy exhalation of air. Everyone in the room tensed as the man completely relaxed yet failed to take another breath for a long moment. Fortunately, another breath finally came, and he continued to breathe normally. After another minute, Daniel's eyes fluttered open and focused on the redheaded doctor above him. "Janet?" he whispered. "What's going on?"

The relief in the room was palpable. "We were hoping you could tell us, Daniel," Janet replied with a soft smile. "Apparently you just collapsed, and Jonas called me in. Did you remember something?"

"Yeah, I think so," Daniel said with a shudder. He considered it for a moment, then his eyes fell shut. "I remember the radiation poisoning." He reopened his eyes as he turned his head and caught Jonas' gaze. "I remember Kelowna."

"You remember?" Jonas parroted, worried about what that meant.

"It wasn't your fault," Daniel said quietly but firmly.

"You can discuss it later," Janet interrupted, beginning an examination of the prone man and taking note of the way he unconsciously flinched away from her touch. "For now I think I should take you back to the infirmary and make sure everything's all right."

Daniel frowned. "Are you sure I can't just go back to my room and rest?" he asked. "I think I'm just wiped out from all the emotions I've relived today, that's all. I don't think there's actually anything medically wrong with me."

Janet smiled at him. "Well, I can see your reluctance to spend time in the infirmary is firmly back in place. How about you humor me and let me do a thorough examination? As long as everything comes out all right I'll let you go back to your room."

"Fair enough," Daniel said with a sigh and sat up.

"Is this the first time you've had a memory come back so powerfully?" Janet asked as her nurses helped Daniel to his feet with just a bit of hesitation on his part.

"No, the second. I was talking with Sam earlier and remembered about my parents." Daniel shuddered but quickly shook it off. "It wasn't quite this bad, though. I didn't get quite as caught up in it."

Janet shook her head. "There are lots of reasons for that, I suppose. Do you know what triggered this one?"

Daniel considered it. "My hand. It was sitting directly under the desk lamp. When it got warm, I could feel a slight tingle, and it was like the flood gates opened."

Janet nodded thoughtfully. "I see." She paused for a moment. "I think I'd like you to talk to someone about this, even if it's only once. This is a lot to deal with, and I want to make sure you're going to be all right with it. I'll talk to the psychiatric staff and set something up."

Daniel tensed. "Are you sure I have to? I just… I don't feel very comfortable with the idea for some reason. Something about the psychiatric staff…"

Janet tensed as well. "Are you remembering something else?"

"No, not exactly. The thought just makes me extremely uncomfortable. I don't think I want to talk to the psychiatric staff."

"I'd really feel better if you did, though," Janet refuted.

"Um, Janet?" Jonas offered hesitantly. "If it's really necessary, isn't there a way Doctor Jackson could talk with Sabrina? She's not part of the official staff, but she's more than qualified."

Janet blinked. "That might work." She looked at Daniel. "Would that make you more comfortable, talking with someone outside the staff?"

Daniel started to let himself relax. "If you're absolutely sure I need to talk with someone, I think that's what I'd prefer." He thought for a moment. "Sabrina… Are you talking about the psychologist that was brought in to help Sam and Daniel after what happened at the NID lab?"

"That's her," Jonas said, nodding.

"She's very good at what she does," Janet added. "I've talked with her a few times myself about what I saw at the lab, as well as a few other things."

Jonas looked at her in surprise. "You have?"

Janet's eyebrows rose. "You didn't think you were the only one that was horrified by the sight in the bunkroom, did you? Sabrina offered to listen, and I took her up on it. It helped a lot."

"She helped me, too," one of the nurses said quietly.

Daniel looked around at each of them and sighed. "I'll talk to her, if she's willing. For now, though, could we get this examination out of the way so I can get some rest? These memories have really taken a lot out of me tonight."

"Of course," Janet replied, then led him and her people out of the office. Jonas hesitated for a moment, then followed. Something inside him needed to make sure everything was going to be all right.

* * *

The rest of the evening went quickly. Janet found nothing physically wrong with Daniel, and so sent him to his quarters to rest as promised. Jonas, after quietly keeping Daniel company during his examination, went back to his office and started to work on a translation for SG-17. The stone tablet remained on the desk, untouched.

After breakfast the next morning, Sam stopped by Daniel's room with the mission reports she had promised during dinner the night before. It was hoped by both she and Daniel that they would help trigger more memories. When she was told about Sabrina's upcoming visit, she approved, reassuring Daniel that everything would be fine. Then she arranged to meet with him for lunch and headed off to complete a shortened list of possibilities for the refugees.

Around ten o'clock there was a knock at Daniel's door. The man didn't recognize the black-haired woman with an obvious Italian heritage standing there when he opened it, leading him to believe this was the famous Sabrina Marconi Janet had wanted him to talk to. "Hello," he greeted her simply.

The woman smiled. "Hello. I'm Doctor Sabrina Marconi," she said, confirming his suspicions. "Doctor Fraiser asked me to stop by, assuming you're Daniel Jackson."

"That would be me," Daniel agreed, relaxing a bit at the casual tone. He stepped aside. "Why don't you come in?"

"Thanks," Sabrina replied as she moved inside. She watched as Daniel closed the door behind her. "Janet mentioned you weren't exactly looking forward to this."

"Um, yeah," Daniel admitted, drawing out the words slightly. "I can't completely explain it, but something about psychiatrists makes me uncomfortable."

Sabrina nodded. "Did you get back any memories that would explain that?"

Daniel tensed for a second then relaxed as realization came. "Ah, you were told about my lack of memories." He shook his head. "Well, um, no, I haven't gotten back anything clear that would explain how I'm feeling."

Sabrina nodded again and gave him a half-smile. "Why don't we sit down so we can be comfortable while we talk?"

"Sure." Daniel looked around then cleared the books off of a chair. He sat on the edge of the bed once Sabrina had seated herself. "Where do you want to start?"

The psychologist took a deep breath before she answered. "Well, I suppose we can start with the memories you got back last night. We can decide where to go from there."

Daniel told her about the memories of Kelowna, and of his death and ascension, the psychologist gently leading him through the details at a pace he set. Part of him noted in pleasant surprise the way she merely listened, asking questions only when necessary, never making him feel judged or like he was being evaluated. It felt more like she just wanted to know what happened than she was gathering information to make a diagnosis. The difference made memories start to tickle the back of his mind; he'd let himself dig into them later.

"Wow," Sabrina said in awe once Daniel had finished, shaking her head slowly. "That is an experience I don't think I can even imagine, and I have a pretty good imagination."

"Trust me, you're not missing much," Daniel said wryly.

Sabrina gave him a smile, then let the expression fade as she cocked her head to the side in thought. "I'm really getting the impression you're okay with all that, as much as you can be," she said after a moment. "Now what I'm trying to figure out is how. I mean, this wasn't just a near-death experience, this was actual death…"

Daniel held up a hand to stop her. "First of all, to me it wasn't dying exactly. It was a release of my physical body so my consciousness could ascend to a higher plane of existence. I did feel my body take its last breath, but it ended up being a seamless transition, no definitive break. It was an end to the pain, and it was liberating beyond anything you can imagine." He gave her a rueful half-smile. "Well, it was liberating to begin with at any rate. Apparently there were some very restrictive rules I just couldn't follow after a while." He blew out a breath and shook his head. "Second, I've had time for everything to settle in my mind," he continued. "The way things seem to be working when I get a memory back is that I feel all the emotions that come with it like it just happened, but then they fade quickly as the piece falls into place. Now I can't be sure what happened between then and now, but no matter what it's been over a year, and I was doing _something_ during that time."

Sabrina nodded. "Ascension sounds absolutely incredible. Not something I'm sure I could sign up for, considering my tendency to meddle in the affairs of others, but still incredible." She gave him an impish wink then returned to the more important matter at hand. "So at first the memories are like you're experiencing everything for the first time, and then it's like the way it would feel currently if all your memories were in place."

"That's right."

"That's quite a roller coaster you've got going for yourself."

"I'd rather be riding it than not. Trust me when I say you don't ever want to live without any knowledge of who you are or where you came from."

Sabrina blinked at the intensity of Daniel's tone. "I can believe it," she said softly.

Daniel sighed. "Now all I have to worry about is getting _all_ my memories back."

"Considering where you were three days ago, I'd say chances are pretty good they'll all be back. And probably relatively quickly. Mind you, had someone asked me prior to this about how quickly memories would return, I never would have given this kind of timeline, if I bothered to give one at all. Your experience goes completely against what I learned in school." Sabrina's mouth twisted into an amused smirk. "I love it when Doctor Alexander is proven not to know everything like he thinks he does."

"I have a feeling my experience goes against a lot of things people on Earth think they know for certain," Daniel said with a chuckle.

Sabrina nodded. "Very true. Then again, I'd say that about most things that I've encountered here."

"What do you do when you're not straightening out the heads of galactic explorers?" Daniel asked.

"I work for the CIA," Sabrina answered with a laugh. "In between assignments I help straighten out the heads of international agents."

"In between assignments?" Daniel repeated. "You're an agent?"

Sabrina nodded. "I can't tell you exactly what kind of assignments I go on, but I am an agent. That's how I got the clearance to come here as quickly as I did."

Daniel blinked. "Those must be some interesting assignments if you can take everything that happens here in stride like you apparently are," he commented.

"You could say that," she said with an enigmatic expression, inwardly surprised at the man's ability to recognize her sense of ease so quickly, especially when no one else had.

"But you can't tell me, I know," Daniel said in a reassuring tone. "I won't pry, I promise."

"I didn't think you would."

Daniel smiled. "So, Doctor, did our conversation reveal anything wrong with me?"

Sabrina laughed. "No, Doctor Jackson, I don't think there's anything wrong with you. In fact, I think you're a lot better off than any number of people out there." She pushed herself to her feet, Daniel following suit. "Just keep in mind there are people here who are willing to listen when these memories and the emotions that come with them hit you - and that includes me. And if you need to vent about anything else, anything that lingers or bugs you or whatever, feel free to give me a call. No charge."

Daniel's smile turned grateful and he shook the psychologist's hand. "Thank you, Doctor Marconi. I just might take you up on that offer. And it's actually a relief to know you think I'm all right."

"Call me Sabrina. Like with the rest of SG-1, I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other. And you're more than welcome."

"And you can call me Daniel."

"I'll see you around, Daniel. I'm going to go check in with Janet and let her know you're okay, then I might pop in to see Sam and Danny."

Daniel nodded. "I'll see you later, Sabrina. It was nice talking with you." She smiled and winked, then he watched her go, closing the door behind herself. He gave a small chuckle, checked the time, then decided to read a mission report or two before heading to Sam's lab as planned. His morning had definitely gone better than expected.

* * *

The next few days went by relatively uneventfully. Daniel continued to read SG-1's mission reports and gain back huge chunks of his memory as he did. Periodically he took breaks and joined Jonas to try to finish deciphering the Ancient tablet, teaching the Kelownan the language as they went along. SG-1 and Danny met up for meals in the commissary, reforging and strengthening the bonds they shared.

Friday morning dawned as days on Earth usually did, and things at the SGC transitioned from the night shift to the day with no complications. Sam and Danny came in at eight, the physicist looking forward to starting a new project since the refugees had been moved to their new home the day before, SG-12 and 18 sent along to help them set up everything they were going to need. Daniel was still teaching Jonas the language of the Ancients, unsurprised at the speed at which the alien was picking it up since he remembered their conversations on Kelowna. Teal'c worked with the marines during their morning drills, Colonel Reynolds happy with the increased challenge the Jaffa presented for his men.

At his home in a quiet neighborhood of Colorado Springs, Jack O'Neill dragged himself out of bed a couple of hours before he was due at the base and blearily trudged into the bathroom to start his morning rituals. With his eyes practically shut he relieved himself and washed his hands. It was only when he shut the mirrored door of his medicine cabinet, razor and shaving cream in hand, and met his gaze with a gusty sigh that he finally realized there was a problem. And it was a huge one.

Brown eyes widening dramatically as he dropped the items he held, Jack spun and dashed out of the bathroom back to the bedroom. Well, he tried to dash at any rate. His extremely loose sweat pants slipped down his hips, causing him to stumble and roll gracelessly into the room that was his destination. Lying unhurt and spread-eagle on the carpet, he scowled up at the ceiling. This figured. This just freaking figured.

A quick mental argument with himself had him deciding against a call to the mountain. It would just be a waste of time. There was no way anyone was going to believe this without seeing it in person; hell, he had a hard time believing it and he was living it! But he had to get to Carter and Fraiser. They were the only ones he trusted to get to the bottom of this crap.

And he'd better get a move on. Thinking of little Danny and the kinds of alien technology the rogue group of the NID could possibly have at their disposal, Jack realized he was surprisingly vulnerable at that moment. He reached down, yanked up his sweatpants, and scrambled to his feet. Once he was dressed, he'd drive himself to the mountain, his eyes open for threats as he went.

He couldn't help but smirk. His friends' reactions when he got to the SGC were going to be absolutely priceless.

* * *

Sam had just entered her starting parameters for her new experiment when an airman knocked on her open door and told her General Hammond was requesting her presence on level sixteen. "What is this about, Airman?" Sam asked, a bit confused. If the general wanted to see her, why wasn't she meeting him in his office?

The man shrugged. "I don't know the particulars, Ma'am, but I do know the general is on level sixteen dealing with the source of a security breach."

"Security breach!" Sam yelped. She straightened to her full height. "Let General Hammond know I'll be there as soon as possible." The airman nodded and disappeared from the doorway. She turned to Danny, who had sat at his computer silently listening to the exchange. "Will you be all right here while I take care of this, or should I call Janet and have her come sit with you?"

"How long will you be gone?" Danny asked quietly.

"I can't be sure." Sam shook her head. "I'll call Janet. Will you be okay until she gets here?"

Danny nodded. "I'll be okay alone until then. You should go. General Hammond needs you."

Sam smiled and came over to him to wrap him up in a hug. "You are so wonderful, I want you to know that," she told him before planting a kiss to the top of his head.

Danny relished the warm feeling the declaration produced in him. He watched with a satisfied smile as Sam quickly placed a call to the infirmary and made her request. Sam had said she loved him. If this was how her love made him feel, he decided he liked it.

With one last smile and kiss to the top of Danny's head, Sam hurried out of the lab and to the elevator. There'd been a security breach. She shook her head as she stepped inside the elevator, glad she was alone. It couldn't have been incredibly huge, as the alarms hadn't gone off and she hadn't been summoned directly and immediately to help.

Thinking of that, she had to admit it was odd the order had come from the general and not Colonel O'Neill. Was her immediate commanding officer also on his way? Had something held him up?

There was no more time to consider the questions when the elevator's doors opened and General Hammond was standing there. "General, what's this all about?" she asked as she stepped out of the car.

"At oh-nine-twenty this morning, someone tried to enter the base using this." Hammond handed Sam a plastic bag as the two of them began to walk down the hallway.

"Colonel O'Neill's security ID," Sam said, gazing at the card, her eyes widening slightly. Well, that explained why the general had called her. Or so she thought.

"After the person in question was taken into custody, he insisted on seeing you."

Sam blinked as they stopped in front of a closed door being guarded by a pair of SFs. She looked at the base commander. "Me? Why?"

Hammond returned her gaze with a small, wry smile. "Well, I was hoping you could figure that one out, Major." He looked at one of the guards. "Open it," he ordered, gesturing to the door.

Sam did her best to keep her expression neutral as she followed Hammond into the room once the door was open. She was forced to quickly control the involuntary widening of her eyes when she saw who was responsible for the security breach. Stretched out on the bed, upper body cushioned by a pillow against the wall, arms and ankles crossed, was a teenaged boy, an expression of exasperation on his youthful features. His hair was short and light brown, his eyes a matching shade, and he wore a tan jacket, brown plaid shirt over a grey T-shirt, blue jeans, and black tennis shoes - all a couple sizes too large.

The boy sprang to his feet when he saw his visitors. "Thank you. _Now_ we're getting somewhere," the boy said, his tone matching his previous expression. He looked at the SF just inside the door. "Sergeant, do you think I could finally get that coffee I asked for half an hour ago? Do you?"

Hammond's eyebrows rose when he heard the sudden lack of hostility in the question; the teenager just sounded tired. He gave the waiting SF a nod and the man was off.

"He's a boy, sir," Sam said to the general in shock, turning away from the kid.

"Yeah, Carter, I am," the boy said in the same tired tone. "Although hopefully not for too much longer."

Sam's head snapped back to him, and she couldn't quite hold back an amused half-smile. "Do I know you?"

The kid's eyebrows rose. "Do you think I would have requested your presence and referred to you by name if I didn't?" he asked. He released a loud explosion of breath where there was no response. "Damn it, it's me!" he exclaimed.

Sam's expression turned skeptical as Hammond looked at her. "We tried to contact Colonel O'Neill, even sent someone to his house," he told her. "No luck."

"Well, it would be hard for me to answer the phone or the door when I'm _here_," the kid muttered, crossing his arms over his chest once again.

"Do you understand how much trouble you're in right now?" Sam asked him sternly, a little bit of fear starting to form for her CO and friend. "Impersonating a military officer is a federal offense."

"I'm not impersonating anyone," the boy declared and flung his arms out, frustrated. "I'm Jack O'Neill. Check my fingerprints, check my DNA, just… _do_ something!"

Sam and Hammond shared a dubious look.

The teenager sighed and let his arms drop to his sides. "Why is it after a year of not seeing them you can look into the squirt's eyes and recognize Daniel in them, but you look at me and not see anything?" he asked, his voice tired once again. "I just saw you yesterday! Stopped by the lab and everything to say goodbye for the night!"

Sam drew back slightly, eyes widening. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"You _know_ what I mean by that. Look, last night I ate some dinner, had a beer, went to bed, and woke up like this. Let me tell you, I was just as surprised as you are." He looked like he was going to continue, but he closed his mouth as two new visitors arrived.

"General, Sam," Daniel greeted the two stunned adults as he and Jonas joined them. He got a look at the teenage boy and his eyebrows rose. "This is the security breach?" he asked, surprised.

"This young man claims he's Colonel O'Neill," the general told him.

Daniel shared a look with Jonas. "It's a joke, right?"

The boy let out another explosive breath. "Daniel!" he cried in an exasperated tone.

Daniel jerked his eyes back to the teenager. "Sounds like him. At least the loud, grating parts." He blinked when he got a familiar glare aimed at him.

"Did anyone try to get a hold of the colonel?" Jonas asked.

Hammond nodded. "Nothing."

"I meant what I said before, Carter," the boy said. "I'm a bit offended that you don't see Space Monkey here for a year and still recognize his eyes in a fraction of a second in that lab, but you see me only yesterday and nothing." His expression turned serious. "Wanna try again?"

"Space Monkey," Daniel whispered as he and the others drew back a half step.

Teal'c stepped into the room just at that moment and moved directly in front of the boy, who didn't even flinch. "How is it you have such knowledge?" he asked after a long silent moment.

The boy smirked. "I thought it would be obvious, Teal'c. I'm Jack O'Neill."

The Jaffa turned around and faced the others. "Does he speak the truth?" he asked.

Sam stood to the side, her eyes switching from the picture on the ID she still held and the teenager in front of them. Yes, there was something familiar there, but she wasn't quite willing to bet the farm on it…

"Give us a little time to talk it over," she said suddenly, meeting the young man's gaze. "We'll be back soon and take care of things when we're finished."

"Fair enough, Major," the boy said after a brief pause, the corners of his mouth twitching upward and a blossoming relief springing up in his eyes. "I'll just wait here." He went back over to the bed and resumed his former position, this time with his eyes closed. Sam led the others out.

"Space Monkey," Daniel repeated once the door had closed and the five of them had taken a few steps down the hall. "The only person who's ever called me that was Jack, and he hasn't done it for years."

"Maybe we should do those tests," Jonas suggested as the SF that had left earlier headed back toward the room with a steaming cup.

Hammond frowned. "I'd hate to waste the resources if this turns out to just be an elaborate prank."

One of Teal'c's eyebrows rose. "The child is aware of what occurred at the lab in Northern Colorado."

"And would anyone care to speculate how a boy could be aware of such classified details?" Hammond asked. "If this isn't the colonel, I need to know how this kind of security breach could happen."

"Well, sir, it could really be him," Sam said, thinking of those eyes.

"There is a physical resemblance," Daniel agreed.

The general shook his head, his expression conflicted between wanting to believe and needing to cover all of the bases. "But he can't be more than fifteen years old. Are you saying Colonel O'Neill has somehow regressed more than thirty years overnight?"

Daniel shrugged. "Stranger things have happened."

"Name but one," Teal'c said simply.

"Well, there was the time he got really old, the time he became a caveman, the time we all swapped bodies…"

"The time Sam had her consciousness transferred into a giant make-shift supercomputer," Jonas added.

Before anyone could say anything further, a loud exclamation from the room they had left rang out. "Hot chocolate! Are you kidding me?"

The five of them looked at each other and smiled, a bit of the tension broken. "I think we can move on to the testing portion of this exercise," Hammond said.


	17. Chapter 16

Sam headed back to her lab to get Janet, the doctor needed to run the priority tests on the blood samples a nurse drew from the teenage boy in the holding room. She shook her head as she walked. The kid certainly sounded like Colonel O'Neill, that was for sure.

"Oh, goody," he said when she'd come back with the nurse in tow. "We've gotten to the part where you and Fraiser run some tests, find a cure, and make me big again." He smirked. "I like it."

Sam hadn't known how to respond. But he seemed to understand that, simply giving her a wink as she left once again. And now she had to wait for those test results. In the meantime, she couldn't help but worry about the colonel.

Two women's voices reached Sam's ears just before she arrived at her destination, and the blonde physicist smiled. Apparently Sabrina was there for her weekly session with Danny. Somehow that was comforting beyond the usual.

"Hey, Sam, what's the problem?" the psychologist asked once Sam stepped into the lab. "Janet mentioned a security breach."

"Yeah, about that," Sam started, smirking wryly. "Things just got really interesting around here."

"Again?" Sabrina asked, her eyes widening.

Sam and Janet laughed. "Yeah, again," Sam agreed, coming around the table and putting a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder. She smiled down at him when he gave her a grateful look at the action.

Sabrina shook her head. "The action just doesn't stop around here. Is it anything life threatening?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Sam assured her. "At least, I highly doubt it. A teenage boy showed up at the gate with Colonel O'Neill's ID and claims to be him." She turned to face Janet. "Actually, they need you in the lab to run tests on the blood samples Nurse Williams just took from him. That should give us the answers we need."

"Right," Janet said. "I guess that means I'm off. I'll let everybody know when I have the results." She paused after she took a couple of steps toward the door. "Did General Hammond authorize the use of the alien device from P7T-923?"

"He did," Sam confirmed. "He wants results as soon as possible."

Janet nodded. "Then I'd better get a move on. I'll talk to you all later." She quickly left.

Sam looked over at Sabrina and gave her a wry look. "You know, contrary to what you've experienced since you've come here, we aren't always dealing with a crisis. We can go for weeks without one."

Both women turned surprised gazes toward Danny, who was trying to smother giggles behind the hand that was now covering his mouth. His eyes widened for a moment until he saw matching smiles form on the adult's faces. "You sound silly," the little boy said through another giggle once he pulled his hand away.

"Do I?" Sam asked with a laugh. "I bet I can make you sound silly too!" She started tickling the child's stomach.

Danny's expression became one of complete shock, then crumpled into a wide grin, his eyes squeezed shut, as he started to squeal with laughter. He threw himself against the back of the stool he sat on, squirming as he tried to evade Sam's twitching fingers to no avail. The game was forced to come to a halt a little bit later when he started to slip right off the seat, Sam abandoning the sensitive flesh to catch him before he could fall.

They both continued to laugh, winding down, as Sam lifted Danny up entirely and embraced him tightly. "Oh, it is so good to hear you laugh!" she declared happily, spinning around.

"What did you do?" Danny asked curiously through the last of his giggles, pulling back just enough in Sam's arms to see her face. "What was that you did?"

"You mean with my fingers on your stomach? That's called tickling, I was tickling you. Sometimes people tickle each other when they want to hear them laugh, or help them feel better. But if you ever don't like it, or you've had enough, you just have to say so. Tell me or whoever else might be doing it to stop." Sam's smile softened.

"It felt funny," Danny said. He considered it. "But I think I liked it."

Sam just laughed and pulled him back in close for another hug.

A soft sigh reminded them they weren't alone. Guardian and ward looked over at Sabrina who stood watching them as she wiped at her eyes. "That was wonderful to see," she commented simply.

"Did we make you sad?" Danny asked, his eyes growing large as his smile faded.

"No, no, of course not," Sabrina reassured him quickly. "These are happy tears. I'm glad you and Sam are so happy together. It makes me feel very good."

Danny looked confused. "You can cry when you're happy?"

Sam and Sabrina shared a look. "Yes, you can," the psychologist answered gently. "Sometimes we cry to release strong emotions, when we feel something very strongly, no matter what kind of feeling it is. So you can cry when you're happy, sad, angry, scared…" She gave a little shrug. "Just about anything, really."

Danny's head dropped. "They said not to cry, that it was bad," he whispered. "But Jonas told me it was okay to cry after he found me when I was hiding in my first home, so I did." He looked up hesitantly, his eyes darting between the two women. "It's really okay to cry?"

Both adults' hearts broke when Danny's voice did as he asked the simple question. "I always wondered why he acted so guilty after he cried in front of me," Sam whispered, giving the boy in her arms a squeeze.

"You never knew you had to give him permission," Sabrina excused her, then focused on Danny. "It's more than okay to cry when you feel you need to," she told him. "It makes you feel better."

"Haven't you always felt at least a little better after you cried with me?" Sam asked.

There was a long moment of silence, then Danny nodded. "But I didn't think I was supposed to," he added.

Sam squeezed her eyes shut for a couple of seconds, fighting back the grief and anger that welled up inside of her at yet one more sign of the emotional abuse the people at the lab had inflicted on all the children in their care during the experiment. Her boy needed her to stay calm for now. She'd get her release later. "I want you to feel free to cry whenever you feel like you need to, all right, Danny?" she said gently. "You have my permission."

Danny finally looked up at her. "It's okay?" A tiny smile touched his lips when Sam merely nodded, and he let himself fall back into her arms, resting his cheek against her shoulder.

"So how long do think it's going to take before you have the results of those tests?" Sabrina asked after a respectful silent pause.

"Probably a little over an hour, maybe an hour and a half," Sam replied, absently rocking back and forth as she stood. "The device Janet mentioned takes an hour, and then she's going to want to do a preliminary analysis of the results before calling us together for a briefing."

"Maybe we should grab an early lunch then," Sabrina offered. "I can watch Daniel later while you attend that meeting."

Sam shifted her head to look Danny in the eyes. "Will that be all right? Are you hungry enough to have lunch?"

Danny hesitated, then nodded. "I'm hungry," he confirmed.

The women smiled. "Then I guess we're going to do lunch," Sam said. "Let's go see what the commissary has to offer." And the three of them were off.

* * *

"All right, people," Hammond said early that afternoon once Janet had let him know she had her results. She and the members of SG-1 had then been called to the briefing room to discuss them. "What are we looking at here?"

"Well, according to these results, within an acceptable margin of error, the boy's DNA is virtually identical to Colonel O'Neill's," Janet said as she opened the file she had brought with her. She shook her head. "A very small margin of error."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Jonas asked.

The physician looked at him. "In a court of law, the DNA sample we took from the boy would be considered a high-probability match to the DNA we have on file from Colonel O'Neill." Her gaze suddenly dropped to the folder in front of her. "There is a tiny abnormality, however."

The rest of the people at the table frowned in surprise. "Tiny abnormality? Like the fact that he's suddenly quite a few years younger than he's supposed to be?" Daniel quipped.

Janet sighed as she looked up again. "I wish I could tell you exactly what it means. I've called in some specialists, and we'll run more tests. But there is _something_ it could mean." She let her gaze go from person to person around the table.

"Do you speak of the possibility of the boy being a clone of O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, saying what everyone was thinking.

"If that's true, what would be the point?" Hammond queried.

"And who would do it?" Jonas added.

Daniel gave him a look, one eyebrow arched above his glasses. "Well, the NID comes to mind, at least the rogue faction. Not that I know what in the world they thought they could gain from this…"

Sam shrugged. "I don't think there's anyone else on the planet that would be able to able to pull this off," she said. She looked at Janet. "Were there any signs of nanotechnology in those blood samples?"

"No," Janet replied. "The only thing I found out of the ordinary was the abnormality."

"If it was the rogue NID, they've changed their tactics. Daniel doesn't have any memories of the original," Jonas said, gesturing at the adult Daniel at the table. "From everything we've seen and heard, _this_ child has all the memories of the colonel."

"Perhaps the retention of memories was unintentional," Teal'c offered.

Sam nodded. "That could be. Maybe the technology they used to make the clone without the memories malfunctioned, or they were interrupted before they could finish the process."

Hammond frowned slightly. "You sound like you're assuming the Jack O'Neill we're holding is a clone," he reminded them.

Daniel shook his head. "No, that's not it, General," he refuted. "We're just trying to cover all the angles of this particular theory." He looked at Sam. "Earlier you said the NID were the only people on this planet that would be able to pull this off. What about people from a different planet?"

"Well, we know the Asgard have cloning technology, so another advanced race developing the technology wouldn't be unheard of," the blonde major said thoughtfully. "Aside from the goa'uld, I can't think of anyone who would do this, but that doesn't mean there isn't someone."

"One way or the other, either a clone or somehow made younger, I think we need to get a hold of our allies and see if they can help fix this," Janet declared. "I can't be sure we're going to be able to come up with a solution, so their advanced knowledge will be invaluable."

"If O'Neill has not been made younger, we must determine where he has been taken and retrieve him," Teal'c said.

Everyone looked at one another at the reminder of the consequences of one of the scenarios they were facing. "I think we need to check Colonel O'Neill's home and see if we can find anything that will tell us what happened," Sam said slowly after a long moment.

Hammond nodded. "Agreed. Take the boy with you. Perhaps he'll notice if anything is out of place." He stood, the others quickly following suit. "I'll send messages to the Tok'ra and Asgard. Let's figure this thing out, people. Dismissed." He left for his office.

Jonas cleared his throat nervously once the general was gone. "So what do we call the boy?" he asked. "I mean, if it turns out he's not the original Colonel O'Neill…"

"We call him Jack O'Neill," Daniel said firmly. "Until we find out otherwise. He has all the memories; we have to respect that. The rest we can deal with when we come to it."

"And I think we shouldn't mention our suspicions about being a clone," Sam added. The others agreed.

Janet closed her folder and picked it up off the table. "I'm going to go back to working on these results and prepare for the arrival of the experts I've called. Let me know if you find anything at the colonel's house."

Sam nodded. "We will." She shared a smile with the physician then watched her leave.

"I guess we should go get Jack," Daniel said. "We have a house to search."

The team members shared a look at the declaration, knowing nothing about this situation was going to be easy. With a silent agreement, they left to complete the general's orders.

* * *

An hour or so later, the five members of SG-1 walked into Jack O'Neill's house, four of them pausing briefly at the sight within. Directly through the foyer could be seen the dining room table - and the trash strewn across it. Empty beer bottles, Chinese take-out cartons, dirty chopsticks, and the crumpled bags the food came in littered the wooden surface, as well as four light blue placemats, a bowl of peanuts and another bowl of pretzels sitting next to and on top of a chess board minus its pieces.

Teal'c turned to his right and headed down the hall toward the living room while the others moved forward into the dining room. "This is a beautiful home, Colonel," Jonas said, looking around the room and through a doorway to the right that revealed the kitchen, while Daniel watched Sam pick up one of the discarded cartons and sniff it. "It's a lot of space, and you have the yard, too. There weren't a lot of properties like this near the capitol on Kelowna."

Jack switched his gaze from Sam to Jonas at the slight hint of wistfulness in the alien man's tone, and his expression of light irritation faded as Sam and Daniel paused in their examination. "Yeah, well, that's one of the benefits of living in the suburbs. Carter here knows what I mean. And you've seen her place, right?"

"Oh, yes, a couple of times now," Jonas confirmed, nodding. "I've just never been here before."

"Right," Jack said softly.

"You know, it's nice to know some things don't change," Daniel said with a gesture at the grubby display, knowing it was about time to change the topic.

Jack scowled at him. "It's not like I was expecting visitors, Daniel."

Daniel's eyebrows rose. "So were you preparing for hibernation? This is a whole lot of food for one evening. And an empty wine bottle?"

"It's not all from one sitting." Jack looked at Sam. "Do you know what we're looking for?"

"Well, not exactly, sir," Sam answered as Daniel picked up a chopstick and looked at it dubiously and Jonas walked around the table and sniffed at the wine bottle the bespectacled man had mentioned. "We just need to see if there's anything here that can explain what's happened to you."

"That would be nice," Jack commented.

Sam smiled at him. "We'll start by sending this stuff back to the lab for analysis."

Jack's expression turned haughty. "Well, if they find MSG I will never order from them again." Jonas' gaze rose from the green glass in his hand while Daniel and Sam shared a look at the unusually-obvious attempt to keep things light. Jack sighed. "Isn't there anything else we could be doing? Something that would feel… I don't know… more useful?"

"Doctor Fraiser is doing everything she can with the blood samples that were taken from you earlier, at least until the specialists she called in arrive," Jonas told him as Teal'c entered the kitchen from the living room through another doorway. "There's nothing else on that front we can help with."

"Not to mention this is the last place you remember being…" Daniel's sentence trailed off as he tried to be diplomatic with his description.

Jack wasn't worried about being nice. "Older," he finished his friend's statement bluntly. "Fine, point pounded into my thick skull."

Teal'c opened the refrigerator and pulled out a plastic storage container after a moment of investigation. He brought it to his face, lifted the lid, then held it a bit away from himself. "Are you conducting some sort of scientific experiment, O'Neill?" the Jaffa asked.

"Hey, come on. That salsa's still good," Jack protested, hurrying over and snatching the container out of Teal'c's hands. Almost out of reflex, he put the salsa back into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of beer, opening it as soon as he'd straightened to his full height again.

Sam, Daniel, and Jonas had been sharing an amused look at Jack's actions, but before the now-younger colonel could take a swig from the green glass bottle Sam moved closer and took it out of his hand. "Not a good idea, sir. We don't know if it's contaminated." She set the bottle down on the counter next to her.

Jack's eyes widened slightly. "You mean they might have shrunken me by doping my _beer_?" he asked, outraged. "Now come on, that's just not fair!"

"Um, what was the last thing you ate, Colonel?" Jonas asked from his position behind Sam.

Jack considered it for a moment. "Four cheese burritos with guacamole on the side."

Daniel blinked. He hadn't seen any evidence of _that_ meal amongst the mess in the dining room… "Anything else?"

"A beer. Then I hit the sack."

"So, whatever happened to you must have occurred once you went to sleep," Sam surmised.

"Then I guess we should check your bedroom," Jonas added. Jack thought for a moment, then agreed with a shrug.

The master bedroom of the house was actually quite spacious, at least when four people weren't conducting an investigation in it. Jonas and Sam were checking out the two nightstands on either side of the bed, Daniel was looking in and around Jack's dresser, and Teal'c had gravitated to the bookshelves opposite the full size bed. Jack merely watched from the doorway, a bit disturbed by his friends going through his more intimate personal belongings.

When Daniel opened one of the top drawers and started rooting through Jack's underwear, however, the colonel reached his limit. "Hey!" he cried, storming around to Daniel's right side. "Do you mind?" Daniel just dropped the boxer briefs he'd been holding, threw his hands up into the air, and stepped over to the small bookshelf next to the dresser. "Thank you," Jack snapped as he forcefully shut the drawer.

Turning around, Jack checked what the others were doing. Sam was looking through the wooden chest at the foot of his bed, Jonas was examining something behind the headboard, and Teal'c was sorting through books - which was totally messing up Jack's system of organization. He rolled his eyes and stomped over to the larger bookcase.

"Teal'c," Jack started to whine as the Jaffa reached up to turn on one of the small lamps attached to the top of the wooden structure. The sudden bright light caught Jack in the eyes as he was forced to look up into his friend's face, startling him into silence.

And then he gasped. Instead of his bedroom, all Jack could see were glowing green globes spinning around him in a white mist, followed by the face of an Asgard moving into his line of sight.

"Whoa!" Jack blurted out, jerking himself out of the vision. He blinked furiously as he struggled to catch his breath.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, unconsciously placing the book in his hand back on the shelf.

"What is it?" Daniel asked, concern lacing the question.

"Are you all right, Colonel?" Jonas added as he, Sam, and Daniel moved over to the other two to see for themselves what was going on.

Jack absently nodded as he considered what he had just seen. "Either I'm remembering a particularly bad dream," he began slowly, still mulling over the vision, "or the Asgard paid me a little visit last night."

The others shared a shocked look at the announcement. "The Asgard?" Sam asked. "Are you sure, sir?"

"Trust me, I'm sure," Jack said wryly, fully back in the present.

"Well, this adds a whole new twist to the story," Daniel muttered, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"We should probably get back to the base and let General Hammond know about this development," Jonas suggested. "If the Asgard are involved, I don't think there's anything here to find."

Sam nodded. "You're right, Jonas. Why don't we get going?"

With that, the five of them left the house and returned to the mountain.

* * *

Sam went immediately to the VIP room that had been set aside for her and Danny, having called Hammond from the car on the way in to set up the necessary briefing. She slipped inside quietly, correctly guessing that the boy would be napping. She smiled at Sabrina, who sat at the small table to Sam's right reading a book.

The psychologist returned the smile and gestured for them to go out into the hall. "What did you find at Colonel O'Neill's house?" Sabrina asked once the door had closed behind them.

"A shock and a half," Sam replied. "The colonel had a flashback and remembered being visited by the Asgard."

"Whoa, that doesn't sound right," Sabrina said with a frown.

"No, it doesn't," Sam agreed. "I've asked for a briefing in about a half hour so we can talk it over." Her expression turned apologetic. "I hate the idea of having you stick around so much longer than you normally would if there's somewhere else you need to be."

Sabrina rolled her eyes and smiled. "I told you before you left for Colonel O'Neill's house, I'm yours for the day. I always make sure I have my Fridays open in case something happens. And before you even think it, there's nowhere else I _want_ to be either. I'm glad I can help my friend when she needs it, and Danny's a joy to spend time with."

The blonde woman sighed. "It still feels like I'm taking advantage."

Sabrina reached out and placed a gentle hand and the blonde's shoulder. "You're not. I'm just glad I can do my part. You've all accepted me here, and that means a lot."

"You've done so much for Danny and me," Sam said with a gentle smile, covering the hand on her shoulder with one of her own. "I think we can call it more than even."

"So have you heard anything from Thor?" Sabrina asked after they shared smiles for a moment longer then dropped their hands back to their sides.

Sam shook her head. "No, nothing yet. We'll definitely be sending another message, but in the meantime…" She sighed and shrugged.

The psychologist nodded. "You have to deal with what you've got." She paused, a thought occurring to her. "Now, if the Asgard were involved, is there a possibility that the young man could be…"

"A clone?" Sam finished for her. "We were talking about that even before we found out about the Asgard's involvement. I have to admit it seems like an even greater possibility now."

"Wow." Sabrina blew out a long breath through pursed lips. "This is getting really complicated."

Sam laughed briefly. "That's the standard procedure around here, I thought you knew that by now."

Sabrina laughed as well. "Yeah, well, consider the trend noted. Now, I think you have a briefing to prepare for. Daniel and I will be fine."

"Thanks again. I'll talk to you later." Sam gave the other woman one last smile and left.

* * *

"And you're absolutely certain that the Asgard are involved?" Hammond asked Jack once he'd been filled in on what had happened at the house. "You have to admit, that doesn't make a lot of sense."

"The memory was pretty clear, sir," Jack said, his posture in his seat relaxed with an undercurrent of anxiety. "I'd recognize those big black eyes and that pale grey skin anywhere."

Daniel sat across from Jack, frowning as he lost himself in thought. As the general huffed in confused frustration at Jack's declaration, a memory occurred to the anthropologist. "Um, General, I've just thought of something. Jack's account reminds me of a number of UFO abduction files I've read. There might be something there that could give us an answer."

Jack looked at him, his mouth twitching into a half-smirk. "So you can remember that, but not my birthday? I think I'm offended."

"Well, Jack, it looks like you'll be having a lot more of those for me to remember."

"This encounter is incongruous with all previous contact we have had with the Asgard," Teal'c commented as Jonas and Sam fought back snickers at the look on their team CO's face. There was a twinkle in the Jaffa's eyes that spoke of his appreciation of the humor in the situation as well.

Sam cleared her throat and forced a neutral expression onto her features before Jack could snap at her in irritation. "Thor _has_ indicated that the Asgard have been keeping an eye on human development on Earth in the past," she offered.

Hammond shook his head slightly. "But we're allies now. We've cooperated with them on a number of missions."

"Well, we have rogue elements in the government here," Jonas said thoughtfully. "Who's to say it's any different for the Asgard?"

"It's never been mentioned before," Hammond refuted.

"That's not exactly something people usually go around advertising," Jack countered. "I mean, think about it. The only reason _we_ admitted to it was because the NID had come close to ruining our relations with our allies by stealing all that technology. You can't tell me we would have freely 'fessed up otherwise."

"Jack has a point," Daniel said. "And the Asgard have an even better reason to keep a secret like that: the Protected Planets Treaty. If it was known that there was a lack of unity amongst the Asgard, the System Lords would start testing their ability to enforce it in a heartbeat."

There was a long moment of silence as they all considered these new lines of thought before Jack raised a hand to recapture everyone's attention. "Oh, and thinking of cooperation, I just thought I'd make sure it was perfectly clear that I would not have agreed to _this_." He gestured at his teenaged body.

Hammond sighed. "We never thought you did, Colonel."

"But what I can't figure out is what they could possibly hope to gain from secretly making you younger against your will," Jonas said.

"Don't ask me," Jack said. "I got nothing."

"General, um, I'd like to cross-reference some of those old abduction accounts, see if I can find any connection," Daniel requested, doing his best to keep things on track.

Hammond nodded, happy to have some sort of course of action to attempt to find some answers. "Please do, Doctor Jackson." He looked at Sam and Jack, who sat next to each other to his left, pausing a long moment before he spoke. "Colonel, in regards to the briefing tomorrow afternoon at thirteen hundred, I'd like you to run it with Major Carter. Considering the situation, it might be best to have someone else there to help ease the pilots into acceptance. Unless you think it would be better to have the major run it on her own?"

Jack shook his head fiercely. "No, sir. I'm the one with the most experience with the F-302s. I should definitely be there." He hesitated for a couple of beats. "Um, sir, I really can handle the briefing on my own," he finally began to protest.

"Colonel, you are going to be facing a room full of seasoned pilots," Hammond cut him off firmly. "You know as well as I do that they're going to have one hell of a hard time taking the opinion of someone who looks like a teenage boy seriously, and that would be in a normal situation. Now, these pilots are new to this particular program. Even with everything they've been told and have read for themselves, I don't think they'll be able to just accept the uniqueness of these circumstances without some backup. Major Carter will provide that backup."

"But, sir…" Jack began to protest again.

"Jack," Hammond said with a note of finality. "You have no idea how close I came to letting Major Carter run the meeting on her own. Don't make me rethink this decision." The general rose to his feet. "Now, I'll leave it to the both of you to figure out how to work with the new arrangement. Dismissed." He turned and left for his office.

Jack blew out a loud breath once the older man was gone. "Well. That's that then."

Daniel stood up. "I'm going to go back to my office and start on that search. Teal'c, Jonas, you want to come help me while these two figure out the details of their meeting tomorrow?"

Teal'c bowed his head as Jonas nodded. "I would be pleased to offer my assistance," he declared, then rose to his feet.

Jonas followed suit. "Let's see what we can find."

"We'll join you as soon as we're done here," Sam told them, then paused and looked at Jack. "Um, if that's all right with you, sir."

"Of course it's all right," Jack replied, surprised at the question. He shook off the feeling. "Let's just get this sorted out, shall we?"

The three non-military members of SG-1 headed out of the briefing room and left the officers to their talk.

* * *

Sam met Jack in the office Daniel and Jonas were currently sharing after stopping by her VIP room to check on Danny. The boy had been in the middle of reading a new children's book Sabrina had brought him, but the psychologist said she'd bring him up when he was finished. Sam had accepted the offer with a grateful smile before leaving, not able to resist giving Danny one last hug on the way out. The smile she got in return made it more than worth it.

She got another smile from the other Daniel in her life when she reached the office on level eighteen. "So how far have you gotten?" the physicist asked as she stood between Daniel and Jonas behind Teal'c, the Jaffa sitting at the computer while the two brown-haired men looked through files. Jack sat in a chair to Teal'c's right, leaning in to look at the monitor.

"It would appear that a great many of the Tau'ri have encountered beings from other worlds," Teal'c commented.

"Yeah," Daniel replied as Jack snorted. "Little do they know how close they are to the truth." He continued looking through the file he was holding.

Jonas did the same. "Now what exactly are we looking for?" the Kelownan asked.

Daniel gave him a quick glance. "Well, any abduction accounts that match Jack's story," Teal'c began to type when he heard that, "and, um, obviously anyone claiming to have physically regressed several decades overnight. We just need to enter our search parameters into the database."

"It is already done," Teal'c announced. Daniel and Jonas put aside their files and leaned in with Sam to take a closer look at the computer screen.

"Wow, that's a lot of people," Jonas commented.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

Jack rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Good luck wading through that. Should I have your meals brought in to you?"

Sam shook her head in slight amusement. "They just need to narrow down their parameters further, sir," she said.

Daniel nodded. "Exactly. Let's see if any of these match Jack's story precisely, what he said he saw. Four green lights." Teal'c typed in the new commands, calling up a new, shorter list. "That's a little more reasonable." He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly as he read over the information presented. "That's interesting," he said after a moment. "Of the narrowed down accounts, the most recent is from…"

"Nineteen years ago," Jonas said quietly, his brow also knitted in consideration.

"Eight are here in the States," Daniel declared after another quick skim of the list. "You know, if these addresses are still valid, we should go talk to these people in person."

"What do you hope to learn?" Teal'c asked.

Daniel gave him a small, tight smile. "I guess we'll know when we learn it." He patted the Jaffa on the shoulder.

Jack's eyebrows rose as he considered the anthropologist. "It's going to take you some time to make travel arrangements."

Daniel shook his head. "I don't think so, not once I find out which addresses are valid and figure out the most efficient itinerary. It might be best to get a private charter plane, though."

"So you're not a slave to an inflexible schedule," Sam said, nodding. "I'll see if I can arrange a plane and pilot for you once you know when and where you're going."

"Thanks, Sam," Daniel said with a smile.

"Would it be all right if I went with you?" Jonas asked.

Daniel nodded. "That would be fine. An extra set of ears and eyes should come in handy."

Sam's expression turned regretful. "I wish I could come with you, too," she said. "But there's Danny to think about as well as the meeting tomorrow, and then I thought I'd help Janet with her tests. I also have some other projects that should keep me busy. I'll go over everything with you when you get back, though."

"That's great, Sam," Daniel told her.

"I believe I will stay here," Teal'c declared after noticing the panicked look starting to grow in Jack's eyes. "Doctor LaTendresse has requested my assistance with a translation of a Goa'uld tablet recovered by SG-21. However, I will also assist you and Jonas Quinn when you return."

"Sounds like a party's going to be waiting for you, Danny boy," Jack said with a smirk. His team didn't miss the relief in his eyes at Teal'c's intention to remain behind. They knew he was still rightfully freaking out a bit over his situation.

Daniel smiled back at the teenager. "I'll try to remember the party favors."


	18. Chapter 17

It was amazing how fast everything fell into place for Daniel and Jonas. With only a little bit of digging, they found that all eight continental addresses were valid, then went to work on figuring out the most efficient travel plans to be able to cover them all in the shortest amount of time. Once that was done, Sam did as promised and arranged a private plane with a pilot, scheduling the trip to begin before dawn the next day.

Around ten o'clock the next morning, Jack sat in the almost-empty commissary slowly eating a large bowl of Fruit Loops. He'd helped Sam prepare the briefing room for their afternoon meeting with the F-302 pilots just after breakfast so she could take Danny to lunch and lay him down for his nap just beforehand instead of completely throwing their schedule off. Now he was just killing time.

"Did you not eat breakfast earlier, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as he sat across from the miniaturized colonel with a tray full of fresh fruit.

"Yeah, but I couldn't think of anything else to do with my time until the pilot briefing," Jack admitted, not reacting to the Jaffa's sudden appearance.

"Is there not paperwork to be done?" Teal'c asked, an eyebrow rising.

Jack shrugged. "Some. But nothing that can't wait."

Teal'c's eyebrows furrowed at the slightly depressed tone of his friend's voice, the golden symbol in the center of his forehead creasing. "Are you concerned that a solution will not be found for your condition?" he asked.

Jack looked at him, startled. "What makes you think that?" he asked defensively.

Teal'c merely stared at him, his expression impassive.

"Fine," Jack muttered after a long moment, frowning. "But I'm not exactly worried about everyone finding a way to fix this. I know I've got the best people doing everything they can."

"It is good you realize this," the dark-skinned man said in a tone of approval, giving a single nod of his head. "But if that is not your concern, what is it that bothers you?"

Jack blew out a sharp breath. "Considering the discussion we had when Daniel showed up on our doorstep and the fact that we know the Asgard are involved in this, I'm sure the thought has occurred to everybody that there's a possibility that…" He swallowed hard. "That I'm a clone," he finished in a harsh whisper.

Teal'c nodded once again. "We discussed the possibility when Doctor Fraiser's tests revealed your DNA matched Colonel O'Neill's."

"Yeah." Jack sighed, his eyes dropping to the table for a moment. A moment later he took a deep breath and released it before bringing up his gaze. "I didn't want to even consider the idea. I mean, I'm me. I feel like me. I don't feel like a copy. But then, I wouldn't, would I? And it's kind of hard to ignore that I'm currently in a body that keeps developing new zits and doesn't need to shave.

"Geez, Teal'c," Jack continued, flopping back in his chair, "after I saw my reflection in the bathroom mirror I almost freaked. When I caught my breath I knew I had to get to the mountain and focused on finding some clothes I wouldn't automatically drown in, not that I was incredibly successful. I'm just lucky my feet are close enough to full size so I wasn't stuck wearing clown shoes. It wasn't until I got into my truck and started driving that I finally had a chance to really think about what was happening."

The man-turned-teenager sighed again and closed his eyes for a moment. "I thought about how everyone was going to react when they saw me, what kind of things they might say happened to me, what kind of tests I was going to have to go through... And then I thought of the rogue faction of the NID and all the alien technology they proved they had access to at the lab where we found the little sport a couple of months ago. I thought of how worried we've been that Daniel is a clone. I just knew that the suggestion would have to be made that I was a clone, too." He scowled. "I hate the whole concept, but I can't deny it. And that makes me hate it more."

Teal'c considered the brown-haired teenager. "What will you do if the suggestion proves correct?"

Jack's lips pursed into a tighter scowl. "I'm kind of holding onto some hope that it's not."

"But if it is?"

A flash of fear lit up the darkened brown eyes in the childish face. "I don't think it'll matter," he finally said in a low voice. "You'll get the real Jack O'Neill back somehow, wherever he is, and I'll just fade away into the sunset. I'll figure out something to do with myself. Maybe the air force can set me up."

"Is that what you desire?"

"Of course not!" Jack replied indignantly. "What I desire is that I'm making a big deal out of nothing, and that my team will come up with some way to re-age me to where I belong."

"What do you desire to occur if it is discovered you are a clone?" Teal'c asked, not allowing the subject to be turned away from the possibility.

Jack didn't answer right away, his eyes dropping to the colorful bowl of soggy cereal before him. "I don't know," he eventually whispered. "I still feel like me, like Jack O'Neill, so I want to stick close. But at the same time it would be so weird to be anywhere near the real Jack O'Neill, to constantly see the reminder of what I wasn't really a part of anymore. And I _know_ it would bug the heck out of _him_. Just think of the other times he's had to deal with other hims. Harlan and the robots, the alternate universes…" He sighed. "It would be… awkward."

"If you were given the choice, however…" Teal'c left the question hanging, wanting his friend to face everything about the situation he could find himself in at the end of this adventure.

"If I knew everything could be worked out, and everyone would actually accept me as my own person instead of a defective copy of the guy they really wanted around?" Jack expanded with a wry twist to his mouth. He gave a humorless chuckle. "That won't happen, T, and you can't tell me it will."

Teal'c's eyebrow rose. "Can I not? I believe I can assure you that my feelings of friendship would not change. Until the day before yesterday, your path and the original O'Neill's were the same, and thus entwined with mine. It was on that path that I formed a deep bond of brotherhood with you, and I see no reason to sever it because of a technicality. Once we have discovered the cause of your current situation, we will know for certain the reality of what is to come. If it is true you are a clone, your future life will diverge from the path you remember, but it is not necessary for that divergence to be greater than you allow."

Jack had brought his eyes back up at the immediate rebuttal, and he now gazed in awe at the large man seated across the table from him. "You can really get your mind around the fact that, if I'm a clone, I'll be my own person, even though I share a whole lot of years of memories with another man, a man you consider a friend?" His tone was incredulous. Teal'c merely bowed his head in response. "I don't get it. _I_ can't get my mind around that."

"It is a simple concept, O'Neill. While your memories until the day before yesterday are the same, from that point forward they will be separate. Thus, you are two separate individuals. Yet, because you both share the memories that are the basis of our brotherhood, I choose to recognize that bond in both of you."

"That's a pretty simplistic view of the situation, T," Jack said quietly, something in his eyes saying he was trying to find something in it to hold onto.

"The view only becomes complicated if you choose for it to become so," Teal'c replied.

Jack stared at the Jaffa for a long, silent moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to fit the new point of view into his own perspective. "You know," he said finally, "I never thought I was one to overcomplicate things."

Teal'c's expression lightened somewhat. "It is difficult to see clearly what has become second nature," he commented. "However, this discussion may have been unnecessary. It may be that your body has been transformed to that of a younger age. If it cannot be reversed, perhaps you should enjoy the increased health and vitality your situation provides."

"Hey! My vitality was just fine, thank you!" Jack sputtered, surprised at the turn of the conversation. He was about to continue ranting in the same vein when he saw the corners of Teal'c's mouth twitch slightly upward, and he knew the comment had been made to provoke just that kind of reaction. "Very cute, Teal'c. I guess I should just be happy that Carter and Daniel weren't here to add to that." He shook his head, chuckling, as he checked his watch. "I suppose I should double check the briefing room, make sure everything's still in place, maybe bring down the blast shield so we don't have to worry about the distraction of the view when the pilots arrive." He picked up his bowl and spoon to dispose of the now-inedible snack, then looked at his friend. "Thanks, Teal'c. I needed to hear what you had to say. You've given me a lot to think about."

"I could do no less for my brother. If you wish to speak further, do not hesitate to contact me."

"You got it, T." Jack gave his brother-in-arms one last smile then left the commissary as Teal'c finally tucked into his mound of fruit.

* * *

Sam sighed as she made her way down to the briefing room, having just laid Danny down for his nap an hour earlier than normal. She'd told him about the change in schedule the day before once she'd worked everything out with the colonel, so Danny had been prepared, but she was beginning to realize the move had been unnecessary. Since Teal'c had stayed on base while Daniel and Jonas were off re-interviewing the alien abduction victims, he most likely would have been glad to take care of the boy while she was involved with the briefing, laying him down for his nap at the usual time. But she found she hadn't wanted to give up the little ritual, especially after having to do just that the day before.

With a shake of her head, she let it go, realizing it was just the mother in her asserting itself and finding she liked the sensation. She'd just call Teal'c once she got to her destination and see if he could check in on Danny later if the briefing hadn't ended by the time the child was supposed to wake up. It would be best if he didn't wake up alone if he didn't have to.

Teal'c was happy to oblige when Sam reached him, then she chose to ignore the smirk her miniaturized team leader gave her regarding the phone conversation. "Is everything still ready, sir?" she asked him, eyebrows raised. If he decided to throw a sarcastic remark at her…

"As ready as it's going to be," Jack replied, his smirk getting a touch wider at the defensiveness he could see in the blue-grey eyes. He actually thought it was cute the way she was looking out for the kid, but wasn't about to tell her that. "I figured I'd just sit on a chair in the corner behind the podium while you start it all off, let you warm them up. I can use the time to go over my notes."

"That should work out just fine, sir," Sam said, fighting back the urge to comment about his notes. The stapled papers in his hand spoke to the reality of them, but she knew he was just going to end up winging it. It was how he handled his speeches to the SGC's new recruits after all.

"Don't be surprised if they get a little huffy with you," Jack warned her. "These pilots were expecting _me_ to be giving this little lecture, alone. Some of them might get their panties in a bunch at the unannounced change in plans."

Sam gave him a smile. "I think I can handle myself."

Jack nodded. "Oh, I know you can. But I'll still be here to back you up, just in case." His mouth turned up in a wicked smile. "And I will more than enjoy putting them back in their place. I could use a little tension release about now."

Sam's eyes widened a bit at the comment just as a knock came at the door. "The F-302 pilots are here, ma'am," the SF on duty in the hall announced, poking his head inside.

"Let them in, Airman," she told him, grabbing the remote control to the projector off one of the chairs in the front row and stepping behind the podium at the end of the room closest to the general's office. It stood just to the side of the lowered screen that hid the window of that office, mostly shielding the chair Jack quickly made his way to. "Come in," she said to the pilots that began to stream into the room. "Please, find a seat, and we can begin."

"Um, excuse me, ma'am," one of the newcomers said as Sam pressed a button to lower the lights and another to call up the slide of the schematics at the vehicle that would be discussed.

"Yes, Captain?" Sam replied, taking note of the bars on his jumpsuit.

"Are _you_ running this briefing?" He wore a skeptical expression.

Sam smiled at him even as the others opened the folders that had been left on each of the chairs and began to review the information there. "Yes, after I give you a moment to look over the intel in those folders. Why don't you go ahead and do that, and we can get started?"

The captain frowned slightly, but did as requested.

About five minutes later, Sam cleared her throat to announce her intention to begin. The pilots had been given identical packets to review over the past couple of days, but she had wanted it all fresh in their minds when she went into detail. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Major Samantha Carter, and I'll be introducing you to your latest mission. Now, as your intel packages show, the F-302 is a space-worthy, fighter-interceptor aircraft reverse-engineered from goa'uld technology. Your upcoming mission has been dubbed Operation Blue Phoenix. It'll be a live fire combat simulation to test how well the 302 fares against actual death gliders." The captain that had questioned her before raised his hand. "Yes, Captain?"

"Major, according to our mission reports, you were second seat during the first attempt to open a hyperspace window."

"Yes, that's correct," Sam replied, wondering just where he was going with this.

"Didn't Colonel O'Neill pilot that mission?"

Sam's brows furrowed. "Yes, as a matter of fact, he did," she said as calmly as possible.

Another one of the pilots spoke up, this one a major. "The colonel also commanded the X-302 during the following hyperspace window mission, didn't he, Major?"

Sam frowned. "What is your point, Major?"

"With all due respect, ma'am, shouldn't Colonel O'Neill be running this briefing?" the captain asked.

"Like we were told he would be?" the major added.

Here it was, the attitude the colonel had warned her about. She refused to look at the teenager sitting just behind her; she'd told him she could handle this herself. "Well, I'm here now, and I've prepared several computer models which should help you understand how the 302 handles in combat situations."

"Major, no offense, but those aren't going to help me when I'm pulling 6 g's in a dogfight against an alien ship," the captain interrupted. There were murmurs of agreement from some of the others.

Sam quietly blew out a quick breath, not wanting to show just how much she was getting upset. Why couldn't they just accept that she had more experience with this aircraft? Was it a testosterone thing? "As you should know, Captain," she replied coolly, "the 302 has inertial dampening systems, which I am more than qualified to explain in detail. So let's just begin, shall we?" She let her icy gaze travel around the room. "Unless there are any other objections?"

The major who spoke earlier raised his hand. "I'm sorry, Major, but you have to understand how hard it is to hear the details of flying one of these things from someone without any real practical flying experience."

Sam's eyes grew wide and her jaw clenched. But just before she could lash out with a detailed list of her practical flying experience, a major sitting in the second row leaned forward and smacked the back of the head of the one that had just spoken. "Just shut up, Barnett," he said. "Didn't you read anything about the members of SG-1? Major Carter is more than qualified to give this briefing, so back off and leave her alone."

"Thank you, Major," Sam said, trying to cover her surprise at the unexpected defense. She could hear Jack resettle himself into his chair; he must have gotten up to do a little defending of his own. The blonde woman cleared her throat. "Okay then. Let's go over the schematics, and I'll describe just what the 302 is capable of. Then we can go over the computer simulations I told you about." She glanced over her shoulder then began her lecture with no further interruptions.

Once she'd finished the last simulation, she looked over the small squadron of pilots. Some were still not happy with her, looking a little frustrated that she hadn't been able to give them any first-hand knowledge of the feel of the 302. She couldn't blame them, really; that's what she would have wanted in their place. Then again, that's what Colonel O'Neill was for, what he was going to cover in the second half of the briefing, along with more details about death gliders and their pilots. She just had to give him the right introduction so they wouldn't have to go over all the hassles again.

Sam smiled as she closed her folder and rested the remote control on the top of the podium. "That concludes my part of the briefing. Now, before we move on, there's something I need to explain to you. The reason I was included in this meeting was that an unexpected…" she searched her mind for the right word, briefly wishing Daniel was there to help, "accident happened to Colonel O'Neill."

"Is he all right?" the major that had defended her asked quickly, a look of true concern on his face.

"He's fine," Sam assured him. "In fact, he'll be presenting the second half of your briefing. However, I wanted to prepare you before introducing him. Apparently this unexplained event has left him in the body of a teenager."

"A teenager?" one of the two female pilots parroted in surprise. "Are you serious?"

Sam had to fight back a laugh, remembering her own shock and awe when she was presented with the same scenario the day before. "Oh, I'm definitely serious. One thing you'll all have to get used to while working with the Stargate Program is that the odd, unusual, and impossible happen on a relatively regular basis. This is just one of those times."

The man sitting to the left of the cooperative major raised his hand. "I promise I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but really? A teenager?"

"A teenager, really," Sam replied. "Look, I understand. This is hard to get your head around. We're still getting used to it ourselves. And if you think we're having a tough time…"

"You should try it from my end," Jack said, stepping forward at last to join Sam in front of the podium.

The pilots' eyes all widened, and they started to look back and forth between the two people standing in front of the room as though for confirmation. Sam smiled and nodded. After a long moment, there was a room-wide straightening of posture and clearing of throats as the pilots sensed the age and experience in the young man who calmly stared at them. Jack let himself grin at the reaction before moving forward to take note of the name patches of the two men that had given Sam such a hard time.

"Barnett and Henning," Jack said, mentally filing the information away. "I'll have to take you to task for your little display of disrespect earlier at a later date; we have a briefing to finish." He gave them one last glare then stepped over to the podium, taking up the remote control. "Now then," he said to the room at large, "it's time for a little Death Gliders 101."

* * *

When Jack was finished with his half of the briefing, he dismissed the pilots, but called back the major who had spoken up in Sam's defense. "I just wanted to say thanks for stepping up for Major Carter," the teenager told him. "She's good at defending herself, but she shouldn't have had to when she was the one in charge."

The major shrugged. "I couldn't believe they wouldn't leave it alone, sir. Besides, that's not how I was raised to treat a lady." He smiled.

"What's your name? Um…" Sam trailed off as she began to read his nametag.

"Cameron Mitchell, Ma'am," the major responded. "Major Cameron Mitchell."

Sam offered her hand to shake, and it was heartily accepted. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Major Mitchell. I'm sure you're going to make a fine 302 pilot."

Jack smiled at him. "You sure know how to roll with the punches enough to fit in around here, that much is obvious."

"Thank you, sir, ma'am. I do my best." Mitchell's smile faded, then he cleared his throat. "Um, Colonel? What exactly are you planning to do to Barnett and Henning?"

"What makes you think I'm planning on doing anything?" Jack asked innocently.

"Well, you said…" Mitchell stopped and narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to do anything, are you, sir? You're just going to let them think you are."

Jack looked at Sam with an amused expression. "The kid's got brains, Carter. Got to give him that."

Sam grinned. "Very true, sir."

Jack looked back at Mitchell. "Go ahead and catch up to the others, Major. And if you could keep your… guesses… to yourself…"

"Consider it done, sir. It's good to see those two taken down a peg or two."

"Oh, and Mitchell," Jack said as the young pilot reached the door. "Don't think I won't be keeping an eye out for those two. I find out they put one toe out of line…"

Mitchell nodded. "Understood, sir. Have a great day, and I hope they figure out something for you soon." He gave a short salute and left.

After the door had shut behind the pilot, Jack turned to face Sam. "I think I like him. He gets it."

Sam smiled. "Yes. Yes, he does."

* * *

Jack went to his office once the meeting with the pilots had ended, Sam going to her VIP room, but had only sorted through a third of the paperwork in his inbox before wanderlust kicked in again. He decided to head to the infirmary and Janet's office to see if she and the genetic experts that had been called in had any answers on how to fix his situation. It wasn't likely, but patience had never been Jack O'Neill's strong suit in situations like this.

As he walked down the hall from the elevator toward his destination, his eyes widened slightly upon recognizing Sabrina Marconi heading toward him. "Hey, Doc," he greeted the black-haired woman once she was close enough. "What are you doing here? Wasn't your session with the squirt yesterday?"

Sabrina stopped in her tracks and blinked at him for a moment before realization dawned. "Jack!" she blurted, then blushed. "Sorry," she murmured in response to Jack's wry smirk. "Sam told me about what happened, but I wasn't expecting to run into you." She took a deep breath and smiled. "I came to check on how things were doing, actually," she said, answering the young man's first question. "Maybe find out if there was anything I could do to help." She shrugged.

"I take it Fraiser wasn't available," Jack said.

"No, she's still conferencing with the genetic team."

Jack sighed. There went that idea. "I hate waiting," he muttered.

Sabrina chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?"

Jack scowled at her. "Oh, and I suppose you're better about it? You're not even stationed at the SGC, and yet, here you are."

"I don't believe I've ever claimed to like waiting, especially when it involves a solution for a problem one of my friends is having," Sabrina retorted, not losing her smile.

"You've got an answer for everything, don't you?" Jack grumbled. He turned around and gestured for her to follow. "I'm suddenly in the mood for pie. You might as well join me for a snack of your own."

"Cool. I can do that," Sabrina replied as she hurried forward to walk side-by-side with him.

They settled themselves at a table in one of the far corners of the commissary, Jack with a slice of apple pie and Sabrina with a bowl of butterscotch pudding. The teenager smiled blissfully after a large bite then leaned back in his chair. "Charlene did the baking today," he said once he swallowed.

The Italian woman smiled and shook her head in amusement. "So when are you expecting Daniel and Jonas to get back?"

"Late tomorrow if everything goes according to schedule. They're definitely not doing any sight seeing on this tour."

"Understandable," Sabrina said as she nodded. "Have you heard anything from the Asgard or the Tok'ra?"

"Not as far as I've been told." Jack sighed and scowled. "And to be perfectly honest, it's getting kind of annoying."

Sabrina silently chuckled and shook her head. "I can understand that, too." She sighed and gazed at him speculatively. "So how are you doing with all this?"

Jack returned the look with one of slight suspicion. "Are you trying to dig in my head, Doctor Marconi?" he asked, his light tone masking the seriousness of the question.

"A little, yes," Sabrina answered honestly. "It's not what I came to the mountain for, but I'll admit to being willing to take advantage of my current situation."

"And you really think I'm going to let you dig?" Both of Jack's eyebrows rose as he asked the question.

Sabrina sat back and looked at the teenager with the familiar eyes. "I don't know what I think," she mused, watching him carefully. "I know I'd _like_ you to talk to me. I'd like to know I could help you if you needed it." She paused and leaned forward again. "But more importantly, I want you to be comfortable around me. If that means you don't share, that's fine. And to be honest, I'm not asking as a psychologist so much as a friend who cares."

Jack's expression softened to something more neutral, and then to something slightly apologetic. "Well, you understand why I'd…" he waved his hand around in a tight circle, "say what I said."

The black-haired woman gave him a sad smile. "Yeah, I do. It happens to me a lot. Call it a curse of the profession: one mention that I'm a psychologist, and everyone thinks that I'm asking questions to dig up all their secrets." Her gaze dropped to the table. "Makes it hard to have a comfortable conversation at parties."

Jack stared at her for a long moment, a moment he could see she was using to get her emotions under control. He was used to seeing the psychiatric profession in a negative light, people to normally be avoided at all costs unless it was absolutely necessary. It didn't help when there were quacks like Mackenzie running around. But he'd never even considered things from their point of view. Then again, he hadn't met a psychologist or psychiatrist like Sabrina. She still dug, but maybe - just maybe - it wasn't always to find something wrong…

"I'm sorry," Sabrina said softly once she'd successfully pushed her hurt feelings to the back of her mind and brought her head back up. "It's not like I don't ask questions that give the wrong impression. But you don't have to worry about anything. You seem like you're handling things just fine."

"I talked to Teal'c earlier," Jack said abruptly, deciding she deserved to have at least a bone or two thrown her way. "He helped me work through a few things that have been bugging me, gave me a few things to think about. It hasn't been easy."

Sabrina blinked in surprise, then took a deep breath before replying. "I bet it hasn't. I do hope no one's told you to look on the bright side, that there are days we all wish we could go back to being kids with what we know now. As much as people say they'd want it, the reality would be much harder to deal with, I'd think. I mean, there are limitations, restrictions. Take going to a liquor store and trying to buy alcohol for example. You know you can handle it, but anybody looking at you sees a teenager. They aren't going to sell you what you want. Any ID you tried to show them would be assumed to be fake." She shrugged. "And that's just the start."

Jack frowned. "I hadn't thought of that. Damn. There goes restocking the fridge."

Sabrina laughed. "It might not be good for you to have alcohol right now anyway. Whatever Asgard technology left you like this might have messed with your chemistry enough that a depressant could be harmful, or might interfere with an attempt to correct your age regression."

"Okay, I'm sold. No beer," Jack said quickly, looking horrified. "I'm not doing anything that could stop me from getting my adult body back." He shuddered, then paused. "Do you think it would matter if it turns out I'm a clone?" he asked quietly.

"So you've considered that," the psychologist said, surprised. She shook it off quickly. "Well, I can't be sure. I've had some medical training - it helps to have someone in the field who has some - but I don't know enough to give you a real answer. I'd wait until you know for sure about your status before worrying too much about it."

"Yeah, that's what I figured you'd say. Oh, well. I guess it can wait."

Sabrina shrugged. "I doubt you'll have too many chances to get out of the mountain before this is all resolved anyway."

Jack sighed. "Yeah."

The black-haired woman bit her lower lip then spoke again. "Is one of the things Teal'c spoke to you about needing to deal with the fact that you could be a clone?" she asked a bit tentatively.

"He made me start to put things in perspective just in case that ends up coming true," Jack replied after a moment. "I've been thinking about it."

"I'm glad I can keep my nose out of this, then," Sabrina said with a soft smile.

"You're going to trust me on this one?" the shrunken colonel asked, eyebrows raised.

Sabrina shrugged. "You're talking about it, thinking about it. There's nothing more to be done until we know exactly what's going on. While I have to admit I like to be the one to do the helping - and I was _hoping_ to be the one to do the helping here - the most important thing is that you're doing all right with everything. And from what I can tell, you are."

Jack gave her a knowing smile. "That was hard to admit, wasn't it?"

"A little," she said with a sigh. "I try to be the one in control as much as I can. I have for a long time now. What's hard to remember for me is that as involved as I feel around here, I'm still only on the edges of things. So if I ever go too far…"

"You're doing it because you care," Jack finished for her. "I'm glad you've been able to be there for Carter and the kid; they've needed you. And the fact that you've helped out Jonas and Fraiser and some other people around here means a lot, too."

"You didn't trust me when I first got here," Sabrina said matter-of-factly.

Jack shook his head. "Nope, can't say I did. You were an outsider and a shrink, both facts setting off a lot of my inner alarms. But you've been proving yourself. And I have to admit, having spent some casual time with you, that you have a weird sense of humor that I like." He smirked. "You're okay."

Sabrina couldn't help but laugh. "I guess I'm glad I pass muster." She leaned in conspiratorially. "And I like you, too," she whispered. Then she winked and stood. "I'm going to go check in on Sam and Danny, see how they're doing. I'll leave you to the rest of your pie." She gestured to the half-eaten dessert and left to put her tray away and head out.

Jack just chuckled and shook his head. Yeah, he'd been right. She fit in just fine.

* * *

Jack had still been in the commissary complimenting Charlene on another round of delicious baking when Sam, Teal'c, Danny, and Sabrina came in for supper. Once he'd joined them at their insistence, the five of them enjoyed a pleasant meal, laughing and talking like normal. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but hope this meant he was the real deal and not a clone.

The only thing off about the situation was that the little squirt kept stealing looks at him. Since he hadn't withdrawn at the teenager's inclusion, Jack presumed he'd been told about what was going on. It seemed the kid was extremely curious about it, not surprising considering the source of his DNA.

"What do you want to know, sport?" Jack finally asked him, giving him a gentle smile to let him know there wasn't anything wrong with the desire. Hell, if this had been happening to someone else, Jack would be just as curious.

The table went quiet at the question, and Danny stared at Jack with wide, furiously blinking eyes. Eventually the boy glanced at Sam, who smiled. "You can ask if you have questions," the major said. "The colonel meant it when he said it was okay."

Danny swallowed as he returned his gaze to the young man sitting across from him. "How does it feel to be littler?" he asked in a whisper.

Jack considered it. "Weird," he answered. "It's not as easy to reach things as it was before. And I can't wear the clothes in my closet."

"People look at you funny," Danny commented, his volume a little louder as he got more comfortable with the conversation.

"Yeah," Jack confirmed with a twist of his mouth. "I noticed that."

"You don't like it," the blond boy said more than asked. There was sympathy in his eyes.

Jack gave him a small smile. "No, I can't say that I do."

Danny frowned. "They shouldn't look at you like that then."

"I don't think they can help it," Jack told him, fighting back the urge to laugh at the childish indignation in the statement.

"That doesn't make it right," Danny insisted. "If you don't like it, they shouldn't do it. You didn't want to be this way. If you're a clone, you didn't want to be a clone. People shouldn't make you feel bad."

Jack's smile faded completely away at the passionate statement of belief, his eyes widening slightly. He swallowed hard to force down a sudden lump. "Thanks, kiddo," he said with a scratchy voice. He cleared his throat. "That means a lot."

Danny smiled shyly. "You're welcome," he replied softly. Then his brows creased together slightly. "Um, if you're a clone, will you still be part of SG-1?" he asked.

Jack shot quick looks around the table to cut off anyone else's response, and if he was honest with himself, to gauge what those responses might have been. "No matter what, I'll do what I can to help SG-1," he reassured the boy.

"I'm glad," Danny said, a touch of relief in his tone as his smile returned. "Then there'll be two Jacks." Pleased and satisfied, he went back to his meal.

Jack stared at the boy as the others at the table shared a surprised look. The kid really believed that, that having two Jacks around would be a good thing. After everything _one_ Jack had put him through… Then, finally, the teenager started to smile. Something about that simple belief gave him a warm feeling deep down inside, and he knew that he wouldn't let it go.

Couldn't let the kid down now, could he?


	19. Chapter 18

Sam and Danny had just gotten to her lab the next morning when the physicist was called to the briefing room. She quickly set her ward up with his art supplies, gave him a kiss on top of the head, and hurried out. Danny watched her go with a soft smile. He was really getting to like all of those spontaneous kisses and hugs.

A pleasant surprise was waiting for Sam when she got to her destination. Jacob Carter stood as his daughter entered and gave her a large grin. "Hey, kiddo," he greeted her then stepped forward to take her into an embrace.

She returned it heartily. "Thanks for coming, Dad," she told him once they separated.

"George confirmed your message," he said, gesturing at the general who stood at the head of the long table smiling. "I can't believe the Asgard would be involved in something like this."

"We believe it may be a rogue agent," Hammond said, "as this action doesn't match any previous behavior, as well as the fact that our relationship with the Asgard has been very harmonious up to this point."

Jacob nodded. "That's true. I still don't see what anyone could possibly hope to gain from turning Jack O'Neill into a teenager, though."

Sam smiled wryly. "We don't either, Dad. That's just one of the reasons we'd like you and Selmak to take a look at the results of our blood tests."

The blended Tau'ri took a deep breath and released it. "Sounds like we've got a lot of work ahead of us. Let's get to it."

"Doctor Fraiser has just reported for duty and has been informed of your arrival," Hammond told his old friend. "She's waiting for you in the infirmary."

"Then let's go." Sam smiled at her father and led him out of the briefing room.

Janet greeted them warmly once they arrived in the infirmary. "It's good to see you, Jacob, Selmak," she said to the Tok'ra with a smile. "I wish it were under better circumstances."

Jacob returned the expression and nodded. "So do we." He glanced at the file folder the doctor was holding. "Now what exactly are we looking for?"

Janet gestured for them to follow, then led them toward the labs. "I'd like to examine the anomaly I discovered in the colonel's DNA results, as I believe the answer to what really happened to him and any possible way to reverse it will be found there. The genetic team I called in is still going over those results as well at the Academy Hospital."

"Have they come up with any theories?" Sam asked.

"No," Janet replied, clearly frustrated. "There was something else that a couple of them were looking at, but they weren't sure enough to give a name to it yet."

They quickly settled into one of the labs and began to go over the test results, as well as directly reevaluate the samples themselves. Janet was more than happy to have a new set of eyes with her, eyes that had a wider spectrum of experience to draw from. The lack of that experience was the one thing holding the genetic team back from moving faster toward a solution.

Forty-five minutes of examination and discussion later saw a frown form on Jacob's face as the older man leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowed as they stayed focused on the screen in front of him. "I believe I have discovered the reason for the DNA anomaly," the echoing tones of Selmak announced after another moment.

Sam and Janet turned away from the files they had been examining and moved behind the blended human to also look at the screen. "What do you have?" Sam asked.

"Your previous suspicions were correct. The young man currently here at the SGC is a clone."

"Are you sure?" Janet said, leaning farther forward as Sam's jaw simply dropped.

Selmak proceeded to show the physician what it was in the display that led him to his conclusion. "It is a very subtle thing. It is understandable that it was missed."

Janet gave him a smirk. "That, and you know more than we do about these things."

"We weren't going to say that," Jacob said with a smile, his voice clearing as the Tau'ri resumed control.

"We have to tell General Hammond," Sam said, looking back and forth between the other two. Then she swallowed a bit nervously. "And the colonel."

"I'm thinking we should charge admission to that one," Jacob said with a wry smile. The two women smiled in response.

Then Sam's expression faded with a sigh. "I'll go get the general. Once he knows we can figure out how we're going to tell the colonel." She gave her father and her friend one last look and left the lab.

It wasn't long before General Hammond and Sam returned, the older man looking cautiously curious. "Major Carter says you have some new information regarding Colonel O'Neill's situation," he said.

"Yes, sir," Janet said, nodding. She gestured toward Jacob.

"Your theory that the teenage Colonel O'Neill is a clone has been proven correct," Selmak said when the general looked at him.

Hammond's eyes widened as he took in the simple statement. "You're sure," he said questioningly.

The Tok'ra nodded. "Very sure," Jacob's clear voice answered.

Hammond took a slow, deep breath then released it. "Where does that leave us?" he asked, looking at each of the three people with him in the lab.

"In need of some answers from the Asgard," Sam replied.

"We can't fix being a clone," Janet added.

"I'll send another message," the SGC commander said, nodding. "I'm afraid that's all I can do."

"The genetics team is still examining the results on their own at the Academy Hospital," Janet said. "From what I was told when I left yesterday, they should be submitting a report to me sometime later today. I'll look it over when I have it and let you know if there's anything else we need to be concerned about."

Hammond nodded again. "Very good, Doctor. Will you be informing…" The questioned trailed off as a slightly frustrated expression appeared on the bald man's face. "What exactly do we call him at this point?"

Janet and Jacob shared a raised-eyebrow look while Sam bit her lower lip. "I think Daniel had it right when Jonas asked that question before," she said finally. "While we know he's a clone, he still has the memories and personality of Jack O'Neill. We should call him that unless he tells us otherwise."

"But what about the other Jack O'Neill, the original?" Jacob asked.

"Until we find him and get him back, it won't really be an issue," Sam said. "Afterward, well…" She shrugged. She had no idea what was going to happen afterward.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Hammond said decisively. "For now, the colonel needs to be told about his status."

Sam looked at Janet. "Should we call him here or should we go to him?"

Janet considered it. "Why don't we bring him here?" she suggested. "That way we can show him the evidence if he asks for it."

Hammond sent an SF to deliver the message, and ten minutes later the teenage Jack O'Neill walked cautiously into the lab. He paused when he saw Jacob sitting there. "Well, hey there, Jacob," he said in a friendly tone, although there was a tenseness in his stance. "I'd heard something about the Tok'ra calling, but I didn't know it was you."

"I just got back from a mission a couple of days ago and asked to take this one on," Jacob replied, wide-eyed. He stared for a moment more, then shook his head and glanced at his daughter. "I know you told me what to expect, but… wow."

"I think I'll mark this day on the calendar, Jacob Carter's speechless." Jack grinned for a couple of seconds then let the expression fade. "So I was told you guys have some answers about this," Jack said casually, his eyes wary as he gestured at himself. "Whatcha got?"

"Well, actually, sir…" Sam started, then paused. "It's actually hard to say…" Her attempt at an explanation faded away helplessly.

Janet shook her head slightly at her friend's struggle. "We've discovered evidence that proves you're a clone, sir," the doctor said gently.

A pin drop would have sounded like an explosion in the silence that followed the announcement. Jack's gaze narrowed as he stared at the petite physician, his mind going at a mile a minute as he did his best to absorb the new reality. "You're completely sure?" he finally asked.

Jacob quickly showed him the evidence. "Selmak says there isn't any other explanation," he concluded.

"So what do we do now?" Jack asked quietly, his gaze dropping away from the others' faces. No one missed the crease that formed between his eyebrows that went along with the bunching of his shoulders.

"We need to figure out what happened to the original you," Sam said, relieved that the teenager was taking it all calmly. "We'll try to contact the Asgard again, obviously, but we'll review what you told us about what you remember happening to you to see if there are any answers there."

"Doctor Jackson and Mister Quinn will hopefully be able to add to what we know as well when they return from their interviews," Hammond added.

Jack's gaze rose again, and he gave them all a questioning look. "Am I hearing things, or are you including me in that 'we'?"

Hammond smiled at him. "You share memories with the original Jack O'Neill. That makes you one of us, and we always take care of our own. I'll need you to stay on base until this is all resolved, but I don't have an objection to you being part of the team that works on this."

"Thank… thank you, sir," Jack whispered, his eyes wide. He started to blink quickly. "Um, could I have some time, General?" he asked at a normal volume, then cleared his throat.

"Of course, son," Hammond replied a bit indulgently. "Take what time you need."

"We'll be here going over everything," Sam offered. She smiled. "You can join us whenever you're ready."

Jack nodded, shot one more look around the lab, then nodded again and left.

Soon after Jack had disappeared from sight, Hammond looked at the others. "I'll leave you to this," he told them. "Let me know if you discover anything further."

"Of course, sir," Sam said. The general nodded and left.

"I should get back to the infirmary and finish my shift-change review." Janet smiled. "I hadn't been here very long when I was told Jacob was here."

Sam returned the expression. "I completely understand. I barely had time to get settled in my lab when I was called to the briefing room."

Janet nodded. "Why don't we meet back here in a half hour?" she offered. "I think we can spare that."

"Actually," Sam said, her eyes growing wide as the mention of her arrival that morning reminded her of something important, "how about we move this up to my lab?"

"Ah, Danny," Janet said knowingly. She nodded. "That should be fine. I'll meet you both there in a half hour." Janet gave both Carters another smile and headed out.

Sam turned to look at her father. "Was there anything you needed to do here before we go up to my lab?"

Jacob shook his head. "No, nothing. Actually, it'll be nice to be able to just spend a little casual time with you and Danny before we get back to this. It's not like I had much of a chance to do that the last time I was here."

Sam smiled. "That sounds like a great idea, Dad. Come on, let's go." The two of them left for the physicist's lab on level nineteen.

"So how are Mark and the kids? Have you had a chance to talk to your brother lately?" Jacob asked as they entered the elevator.

"I talked to him for a little while a few days ago, actually. Not nearly long enough to try to explain about Danny, but he filled me in on how things are going for him. Julie and the kids are doing great. Mark said he was thinking of coming out to visit a friend of his in Denver in a couple months, and that he'd like to drive down and see me, too. I guess I'll get my chance to explain things then." Sam shook her head as the car came to a halt and the silver doors slid open, the father-daughter pair immediately heading out and down the hall. "That's bound to be tons of fun. But I'll be sure to tell him you said hi."

"Your cover story is sound, Sam. You'll be fine. And I think Mark will love Danny."

Sam gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Dad." They walked into her lab.

Danny was more comfortable the second time around with Jacob, showing the Tok'ra what he'd been drawing when requested and smiling shyly at the resulting praise. Janet joined them as promised, and the trio proceeded to work for a couple of hours before breaking for lunch. They were all a little frustrated at their lack of progress.

Janet was forced to leave the commissary early when one of her nurses called her away to deal with the consequences of an unfortunate incident on level twenty-three. When the mid-day meal was finished - in a much more subdued fashion - Sam and Jacob decided to have a brainstorming session until Janet was able to rejoin them or Jack had settled things for himself and returned from wherever he'd hidden himself away. Neither Carter could blame the teenaged clone; the reality he was facing had to be difficult to come to terms with.

Once Sam had laid Danny down for his afternoon nap and met her father back in her lab, the two of them talked through everything they knew about what was going on. It started mostly with Sam going into more detail, her message to the Tok'ra filled with just enough information to convey the general circumstances and sense of urgency. Jacob requested appropriate clarification as she spoke. As time went on they realized they had more questions than answers, which had them back at the utter frustration stage they'd found themselves in just before lunch.

Finally it came time for Sam to check on Danny, his naptime just about over. Jacob and Selmak were reviewing the lab results once again when she left the lab with a promise to help him with it upon her return. Her father smiled and accepted the offer before shooing her off.

Leaning against the wall to the right of her VIP room door when she got there was a sight she didn't expect to see. Sam stopped in her tracks a few steps away, her eyes wide and blinking.

"Surprise," the teenager said with a smirk.

"Um, what are you doing here?" Sam asked, utterly confused. Why hadn't he come to her lab? It wouldn't have taken much to find out where they'd moved when they couldn't be found in the infirmary labs.

"Waiting for you," Jack replied simply. "I didn't know if the kid would still be sleeping so I figured it would be best not to go inside." He shrugged.

Sam gave him a small frown. "I meant why didn't you join us like we asked you to," she clarified.

Jack sighed. "Actually, I haven't really been here all that long. When I finally calmed down enough to do some thinking instead of fighting off the urge to maul a punching bag - or the nearest loudmouthed marine, whichever came first - I came to a few conclusions. The first of which was that I probably wouldn't be all that much help in piecing together exactly what happened."

"That's not true, sir," Sam automatically protested.

"Oh, come on, Carter, you know it is. Finding all the facts, especially the scientific ones, is your specialty, yours and Daniel's." He considered it for a second. "I suppose and Jonas', too. Not to mention the fact that you've got Fraiser and your dad here helping. That's not where my strengths lie." His voice caught as he mentally pulled himself up short. "Well, you know what I mean." He blew out a loud breath.

"I do, but we were hoping to go over what you remember about your experience with the Asgard if you'll recall."

Jack's eyebrows rose. "I know you remember what I told you. I'd even bet you could quote it back to me word for word. You don't need me there to rehash it."

Sam's frown deepened. "But if you'd gone over things again with us, you might have remembered something new that could provide us with some more answers."

The teenager shook his head. "I doubt it. In fact, I have a feeling we're not going to get much further on this until Daniel and Jonas get back and/or Fraiser's genetic team finishes up their review of her test results. And once we start to move forward a bit, I'll come in a little more handy. See, I'm fully aware that I'm better at strategy and tactics. I come in once you guys have the beginnings of theories and poke holes in them so they can become the best theories they can be. Then we can get some real answers and put an effective plan together." He smirked as Sam's expression turned startled.

"You know," the blonde physicist said after a pause, "I always knew that dumb colonel act was just that. I just never thought I'd see the day when you'd admit to it." It was her turn to smirk.

"You know," Jack shot back, mimicking her tone, "if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it."

"Of course you will." Sam's smirk turned into a grin.

Jack grinned in return. "Anyway," he continued, becoming a bit more serious albeit not by much, "I figured I'd do you a favor and take the squirt off your hands for the rest of the afternoon. Give you some space to do your work. I happen to know it's a gorgeous April day outside, and I'm thinking the kid should get some fresh air."

Sam chose not to question how the young clone knew what the weather was like, figuring the answer was more than obvious. It certainly explained where he'd been all this time. "I suppose that could work," she agreed. "We can always call you in if we need you."

"Exactly," Jack said expansively. "And don't worry. I wasn't planning on trying to take him any further than the top of the mountain. We can do a little bit of hiking."

"That actually sounds like fun," Sam said. "You'll want to make sure you bring him back down to the commissary at supper time, though."

"Hey, that's a given. All that exercising is bound to work up an appetite anyway." Jack gave her a small smile. "I'll make sure I give you a call when we get back inside," he assured her.

Sam returned the smile. "Then I hope you guys have fun. Let's go get him ready."

Danny was awake and rubbing his eyes when Sam and Jack walked into the room, and he gave the pair a sleepy smile when he saw them. They returned the expression, Jack's smile widening a bit more when he saw a plush yellow ape sticking out from under the covers. "Good to see you're enjoying your little buddy there," the teen said, pointing at the ape in question.

"That's our way of making sure Danny never wakes up alone," Sam replied as Danny blushed and nodded. "Sunshine just keeps our boy company until I or someone else we trust gets here."

"Sounds like a good system to me," Jack said with a smirk and a shrug.

"I was wondering if you'd like to spend the afternoon with Jack here," Sam offered as she sat down beside her ward on the bed. "I still have some work to do with my dad and Janet, so I wouldn't be able to give you the attention I'd like to, at least not until supper."

Jack's expression turned into a gentle smile when Danny's curious gaze switched to him. "It's up to you, but I think we'd have fun walking around on top of the mountain."

Danny hesitated briefly, then spoke. "You don't have to help Sam?" he asked quietly.

"Not yet," Jack replied. "When they get all the facts together and start to figure out what they're going to do next, then I'll jump in to help out."

"Oh." The boy chewed on his bottom lip for a long moment then took a deep breath. "I'll go walking with you."

Jack was surprised how happy the declaration made him. He grinned. "Hey, great. Then why don't I let you two get ready while I wait outside? We'll head out whenever you want."

Sam and Danny both smiled at him. "Thank you, sir. We won't be long," she told him.

The blonde major had been right, and fifteen minutes later Jack and Danny were walking along one of the easier paths on top of the mountain. No words were said for some time as the pair merely gazed at the glory of nature all around them, one with contemplative consideration, the other with a sense of awe and wonder, still not used to these sights. They both were glad of the silent company beside them.

The sudden rustling of bushes beside the trail the young men were walking on had them stopping in their tracks and turning their attention toward the source of the sound. Jack subtly shifted position to one that allowed for protection of the younger boy, and they waited. A couple of minutes later, a red fox slipped out from the undergrowth, pausing a moment when he saw he had an audience before jogging off once he was sure he was in no immediate danger.

"That… was cool," Jack said a bit breathlessly once the animal was out of sight.

"What was it?" Danny asked, staring off in the direction the fox had gone.

"A fox," Jack answered. "A red fox." He grinned. "Cute little guy, wasn't he?"

Danny nodded, then turned his head to look at his companion. "Have you seen foxes before?"

Jack's expression softened. "A couple times, but mostly in pictures. This is the closest I've ever been to one, that's for sure."

"I never even saw a picture before," Danny commented, his eyes dropping shyly.

"Oh, you've got plenty of time to see all kinds of things up close. I'm sure this'll just be the first sighting of many." Jack ruffled the younger boy's hair.

Danny brought his head back up and smiled. "I guess you have time now, too, since you're littler for good. Maybe you'll get to see more foxes up close."

Jack's smile faded, weakly reforming only when he saw concern flare to life in the bright blue eyes in front of him. "Yeah, I guess so. That'd be pretty cool."

Danny frowned. "You still don't like being littler. Is it because you're a clone?"

"Uh, well…" Jack started blinking, totally thrown off-guard by the insight. He stared at the smaller person for a long, stunned moment, then took a deep breath and collected himself. "I remember being older. I remember doing things it turns out I never really did. It's hard to like the feeling that I haven't really done anything at all." He shook his head and turned away. "Come on. Let's keep walking. This day's too nice to waste just standing around."

"But you can do them for real now," Danny protested as he hurried to catch up to the now-walking young man. "You'll get bigger and can do all the things yourself."

"Oh, not everything would be worth repeating, that I know for sure."

The little boy's scowl deepened. "So don't do the things you don't like." His tone was filled with childish petulance.

Jack shot him a quick glance and looked away again. "It's not like I need to do any of those things," he said quietly. "You guys already have someone who did."

"But _you_ didn't, and we have you, too. Now that you're littler, you can do all the things you remember that you like, and then some new things that you like. Maybe you can find some new ways to help fight Anubis."

"I don't think you really understand what's going on here, kiddo," Jack said with a humorless chuckle, coming to a stop. "I'm a clone of Jack O'Neill, a copy. And a defective one at that. There's nothing special about me, nothing unique, nothing more I can really add to the equation." He sighed and let his eyes close.

"What does unique mean?" Danny asked, also having stopped.

The corner of Jack's mouth twitched upward, but there wasn't enough in him to complete the expression. "It means one-of-a-kind. Definitely not a description of me."

Danny let loose a quiet sigh that was so much older than his frame. "But it is, Jack. I know you remember all the things the first Jack does, but you're littler, so you can do more than that. And you can do all the things the first Jack didn't get a chance to do. I think that makes you really special."

The passion and sincerity in the little boy's words had Jack staring at him in utter shock for a long moment. The kid really meant it. The kid knew full well that the Jack standing in front of him was a clone - and somehow understood what a clone was, probably thanks to Carter - and totally accepted the idea. Heck, not just accepted it, but saw it as a positive thing, something to be embraced. And he'd put it into such simple terms that Jack could see it, too. The teenager was more than just a copy; he was the embodiment of the potential of the original.

It was amazing what the eyes of a three-year-old could see.

A three-year-old who was a clone himself, not that he knew that.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut as the realization of what he'd been saying about clones hit him. Way to set up some serious self-doubt in the future, Jack. Unless he could show the little boy how right he'd been all along…

Drawing himself up to his full height and opening his eyes, Jack looked at his young friend and smiled comfortingly. "You make a lot of sense, kiddo. I think I was a little too close to everything to see it that way."

"It can be hard to understand lots of things," Danny told him in a tone meant to mollify. "I have to try hard every day, because so much is new and different. But Sam and SG-1 and Janet and Sabrina all help me. They can help you, too." He smiled shyly. "Maybe I can, too."

"Hey, you already proved you can," Jack said expansively, gently laying a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. As he looked down at the blond boy, he was surprised at the surge of intense emotion he felt. He somehow knew that from that day forward he would do whatever he could to help and protect this precious child. It was the least he could do in exchange for the gift of hope he'd been given that day.

It was a feeling that couldn't be expressed in words, however. "Thank you, Danny," Jack said once he'd knelt down in front of the other boy, the only words he could come up with. "What you said means a lot to me, and I'll never forget it."

Danny smiled in return, a bright smile that lit up his whole face. "You called me Danny," he said with a giggle.

Jack's expression turned confused. "Um, that's okay, isn't it? Would you prefer that I call you Daniel?"

"You can call me Danny," the child assured him. "Sam calls me Danny because she loves me, and I think you did it for the same reason."

Jack merely wrapped the kid up in a big hug, grinning to himself when he felt little arms return the favor. "I think we can walk for a little while longer before we head in for supper," he said once they'd pulled apart. "Maybe we'll see some more animals along the way."

Danny nodded, his smile never fading. "I'd like to see another red fox."

And the two of them walked on.

* * *

After a brief call to the physicist's lab, Jack and Danny met Sam, Jacob, and Teal'c in the commissary for supper. The Jaffa had joined in the brainstorming session soon after the young pair had gone topside, but the discussion over the meal revealed that they hadn't made any headway. In fact, they'd been happy for the interruption as the frustration level was rising quickly.

It was a pleasant meal, and soon after the five of them returned to the lab. They weren't there long when two more people made an appearance.

"Hi, everybody," Daniel said in a tired voice from the open doorway, Jonas smiling and standing a step behind and to the left of him.

"Daniel!" Sam cried with a sudden wide smile. "It's good to see you. And you, too, Jonas. How was your trip?"

"Exhausting," Daniel replied, stepping into the room.

Jonas followed. "But extremely fascinating. There are so many different kinds of terrain in this country, and the people we talked to were very friendly."

Daniel nodded. "More friendly than I thought they'd be," he confirmed. "Of course, we offered them some vindication, so maybe it's not so surprising."

"So what did you two find out?" Jack asked. "Are we any closer to some answers?"

"I'm not sure about the answers exactly," Daniel said, laying the battered leather messenger bag that had been hanging on his shoulder onto the lab table. "We did get some more information." He pulled a small journal out of the bag.

"We definitely confirmed your vision," Jonas told the teenager. "Not that we really doubted you."

Jack waved off the reassurance, never having thought they had. "So these people you talked to remember the same things happening that I do?" he asked.

Daniel opened his journal. "All the accounts were basically identical, and matched your version of events exactly."

Jack pointed at the open book in the anthropologist's hands. "You aren't even looking at that," he protested.

"I do have a pretty good memory, Jack," Daniel retorted with a roll of his eyes. "Not to mention that Jonas and I have been going over everything during our flights. I'm more than familiar with the material."

"Just making sure," the teenager said haughtily.

"So everyone was cooperative?" Jacob asked. "They were all willing to talk to you?"

Both Daniel and Jonas nodded. "Like I said, most of them are hoping for some vindication," the anthropologist said. "They want their stories proven true."

Jonas sighed a bit sadly. "We couldn't promise that, of course, but even the renewed chance was enough for them."

"Have you reported to General Hammond yet?" Sam asked.

"Daniel called the general on our way here from Peterson," Jonas explained. "We told him we'd go over things with you first, then contact him for a briefing."

"So, Jacob, I take it you're here in response to all this?" Daniel asked, giving the blended man a smile.

Jacob smiled back. "Something like that. Then I thought I'd stick around and see if there was anything else I could do to help." He shrugged.

Jonas narrowed his eyes slightly. "Anything else?" he repeated.

Sam sighed. "We started to go over the blood test results, trying to figure out what was going on, when Selmak recognized something in the anomaly Janet told us about." "Oh come on," Jack said with a roll of his eyes when Sam hesitated to continue. "Look, they figured out I'm a clone, okay? Something went wrong with the process, and it left my body younger than the original. We still don't know how or why."

"Well, that was short and concise," Daniel commented after a brief, stunned moment of silence.

"It's pointless to beat around the bush about it," Jack muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Daniel nodded. "True. So now that that's cleared up, what's next? Anyone have any ideas?" The teenager gave the archaeologist a reluctant half-smile when he realized he was included in the general query.

Teal'c's expression was approving when he gazed at Daniel. "We should review the information you and Jonas Quinn have obtained, Daniel Jackson," the Jaffa suggested.

"Right. Well, like I said, all eight people we interviewed had stories that match Jack's." Daniel glanced down at the open journal he still held.

"Except none of them experienced any kind of physical changes as a result of the abduction," Sam added.

"No, they didn't, but everything else is bang on. Taken while sleeping, floating paralysis, out of body experience. Now, admittedly, all of this does sound familiar, cliché even, if you watch enough TV, but, um, they all described four green globes that seemed to defy gravity, buzzing around them like insects. That's too specific a detail to be a coincidence."

Jacob nodded. "You've got a good point there." He considered it for a moment. "So I take it the descriptions of their abductors match up with the Asgard?"

Daniel smiled. "Short, big eyes, no hair, weird voice? That would be a yes."

Jonas frowned. "From everything we were told, I don't think there was anything malicious in the intent here. All eight of the subjects said the Asgard who took them tried to reassure them, telling them not to be afraid and that they'd be safe soon."

Jack rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, that makes me feel _so_ much better."

"No, that's important," Daniel refuted. "If this wasn't malicious, there's a chance we can talk to whichever Asgard is responsible and get the original Jack back."

"Not to mention answers to how he did it and why," Sam added. "Although so far the Asgard haven't responded to our attempted communications."

Before anyone could say anything further, the phone in the lab rang. "Carter," Sam said when she answered it. She listened for a moment. "Of course, sir. We'll all be right there." She hung up and looked at the others. "That was General Hammond. I guess Janet's in his office and says she has the results from the genetic team. He'd like us all to come to the briefing room so we can hear her report."

A few minutes later, SG-1 plus Jacob reported to the briefing room as requested, Sam making a brief detour to take Danny to their VIP room and set him up with his art supplies. Once they were seated, Janet and General Hammond came out from his office and joined them at the large table. The doctor's eyes lingered on the teenager in their midst before taking her seat.

"Doctor Fraiser," General Hammond said once he'd taken his seat at the head of the table, "why don't you go ahead and present your team's findings?"

"Of course," Janet replied as she rose to her feet, a manila folder open in front of her. She glanced at its contents and sighed. "I received the genetic team's results an hour ago and looked them over. From what was presented, it appears that something is happening to… Jack's body at the cellular level. Basically, the genetic structure is growing more unstable."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Jack asked quietly, his body tense.

Janet sighed again, pain becoming visible in her features. "In simple terms, you're dying, sir. This is actually similar to what happened to the clones in the rogue NID lab. I'd… I'd like to take some more blood samples and track the progress of the degradation, see if we can't come up with a solution to reverse it."

Jonas raised his hand slightly to get everyone's attention. "What about Doctor MacDonald's serum?" he asked. "We know it worked on Daniel. Um, the younger one."

"I thought of that," Janet told him. "I currently have a sample being tested, and I was planning on looking over those portions of Doctor MacDonald's notes that pertained to the serum. I want to be as sure as I can be before I start using it."

"Exactly how long do I have?" Jack asked, his eyes narrowing. "Because I have to tell you, I feel fine."

"You'll start to feel symptoms as your condition worsens, but it's hard to say when that will be," Janet told him.

The corners of the teenager's mouth turned downward. "Say it anyway."

The petite physician stared at him for a moment before speaking. "It could be weeks, days… I don't know for sure. You'll notice fatigue at first. In the end, your body's vital organs will completely shut down."

"It _is_ like what happened to the kids at the lab," Sam murmured, eyes wide.

"Doctor MacDonald's serum has a good possibility of working," Janet said reassuringly. "And even if it won't in its current form, we might be able to use it as a foundation for a serum that will."

"Selmak and I would be more than happy to help you with that," Jacob offered quickly. Janet smiled at him and nodded her acceptance of the assistance.

Hammond looked around at everyone at the table. "So what can be done in the meantime?" he asked. "And where do we start searching for the… original Colonel O'Neill?"

Daniel considered it. "Let's think about this for a moment. The people Jonas and I interviewed can't be suffering from this genetic degradation; it's been over nineteen years since any of their encounters, and they're all still alive to talk about it." He looked at Janet. "That wouldn't be possible if the degradation were present, would it?"

Janet shook her head. "No, definitely not."

"That suggests we're dealing with the originals and not the clones," Daniel concluded.

"And we already know with a certain degree of certainty that it's an Asgard that abducted them in the first place," Sam added.

"The Asgard clone themselves," Teal'c said. "It is their form of reproduction."

Daniel nodded again. "Their very existence depends on their ability to clone their bodies and then transfer their consciousness from one to the next."

Sam looked at him. "But they suffer from grave medical conditions due to thousands of years of cloning."

"Which will ultimately lead to the fall of their civilization if they can't solve the problem of diminishing returns in their cloning technology," Daniel completed the train of thought.

"And how does making a faulty clone that's younger than he's supposed to be and falling apart at the seams help fix that?" Jack asked snippily.

"It doesn't," Jonas said, realization dawning in his eyes. "It's not the clone itself that's supposed to help find a solution."

Jacob nodded. "But the original would, at least theoretically," he added.

Hammond looked around the table again, wanting to be sure he was following everything correctly. "Which means?"

Sam looked at him. "Well, in all likelihood, the Asgard responsible took the original people and replaced them with duplicates so as not to arouse suspicion."

"And then they studied the original for a period of time then switched them back," Daniel continued the new train of thought.

"So you think whoever took the… original Colonel O'Neill is going to return him?" the general asked.

Jonas shrugged. "It makes sense, sir. Colonel O'Neill's clone being so much younger had to be a mistake."

Hammond looked at the Kelownan. "What makes you think that?"

"The previous actions of the Asgard responsible indicate his desire to remain covert," Teal'c answered.

"And this is just a little bit obvious, don't you think?" Jack gestured at himself with his eyebrows raised.

"It's a good bet that the Asgard doesn't even know there's a problem, or else he would have tried to fix it," Sam mused.

Hammond's mouth twitched slightly upward. "Well, they'll figure it out when they try to switch him back."

Sam shook her head slowly after a moment of thought. "I don't think that's the real issue here." She looked at her teammates one by one.

"We need to try to catch the Asgard behind this," Daniel added, immediately following where Sam was going.

"It could end up being our best chance of not only getting Colonel O'Neill back, but of saving Jack here," Jonas said, also following along.

"I believe intercepting the next switch to be our only opportunity to apprehend the Asgard responsible," Teal'c declared.

Jack looked around the table with an expression of incredulity on his face, and just a hint of appreciation for the sentiment of wanting to save him in his eyes. "And just how were you planning on pulling off that little stunt?" he asked gruffly. "We don't know how or where he's going to try to make the switch."

Daniel smiled at the teenager. "That's what we can work on while Janet and Jacob work on your new blood samples and Doctor MacDonald's serum. There has to be something in the abduction stories that will give us a clue."

Hammond nodded. "It sounds like we have a plan, people. I'll leave you to it. Dismissed." He rose from his seat and headed back to his office. The rest of the people at the table dispersed soon after, splitting up to take care of the tasks set before them. They all knew it would not be easy.


	20. Chapter 19

ANs: Thanks to everyone that's been reading! I hope this new chapter continues to please! Now I'm off to work on the next chapter - enjoy! Be sure to let me know what you think!

* * *

It turned out that only a small amount of work got done before people needed to call an end to things for the night. Daniel and Jonas were exhausted from their cross-country trek, Janet had to get home to Cassie while Sam decided she should spend the night with Danny at the house, and Jack was mentally worn out with all the revelations he'd gone through. Teal'c and Jacob would have been able to continue, of course, but were content to acquiesce to the needs of the others.

The next morning each team reconvened, Janet and Jacob again in the medical lab and the others in Sam's lab with Danny on a computer off to the side working on a new math program his guardian had bought for him. The larger group had been talking for about an hour when Sabrina stopped in.

"Hey, everybody," the psychologist greeted the room with a smile. "How are things going? Any closer to a solution?"

"To which problem?" Jack asked, frowning. It was the same expression he'd been wearing for some time.

The new arrival's black eyebrows rose. "There are multiple problems now? What happened yesterday?"

Sam quickly explained everything that had been discovered since the psychologist's last visit. "So now we're trying to figure out when the Asgard responsible will attempt to make the switch," she concluded.

Sabrina blinked. "Oh." She glanced around the lab table. "Um, I take it you've covered the possibility that the Asgard will return to the place he took the original from," she offered.

"Well, yes," Daniel told her. "That does make the most sense for where, but we need to figure out _when_. It can't be too long, or the friends and family of the people Jonas and I interviewed would have noticed the gap."

"What I don't understand is how those people _didn't_ notice anything strange," Sabrina said thoughtfully. "I mean, chances are something from the time they were gone would be brought up, and they wouldn't remember it."

"Unless the Asgard had a way to transfer the memories of the clone to the original during the switch," Jonas refuted.

"I think it would happen soon after the switch," Sam theorized. "The Asgard would need to scan and quantify the clone's memories before any kind of transfer of information could take place."

Jack sighed. "I don't see what this has to do with anything," he complained.

Sabrina shrugged. "Just thinking out loud," she said placatingly. "And you never know. This train of thought could spark an idea in someone."

"I know, I know," the teenager replied with another sigh. "That's how this usually works. I'm still just dealing with everything."

"Fair enough," the Italian woman said.

"All right," Sam said decisively, more than willing to change the subject as she opened a new program on her computer. "I think we need to go over every detail of all the abductees' stories and work out a schedule. Once we have that figured out, we can piece together when to expect our impromptu Asgard visitor." She typed in a few commands to set up everything she needed.

Sabrina turned her head to the left at the sensation of a hand on her arm. She smiled at the tentative expression Jonas wore even as a small alarm went off in her mind. "Is there something you needed, Jonas?" she asked softly as the others in the room all gathered around the blonde astrophysicist and her glowing monitor.

Jonas nodded. "Could I speak with you later?"

The psychologist let her smile widen slightly as it softened, realizing something must really be bothering the Kelownan. "Of course. Just let me know when and where."

"Whenever we get done here is fine," Jonas replied, relief quite apparent in his tone. "We can figure out where then."

"That works," Sabrina agreed, and then the two of them joined the others in the interview review.

* * *

The group in Sam's lab, with only a brief break for lunch, managed to piece together a probable timeline for the Asgard abductions just before breaking again for supper. It had been an intense day of work, and once the evening meal was over Sam glanced at Danny as she had while the seven of them had been eating and finally gave in to the guilt she was feeling.

"I should take Danny home, spend some one-on-one time with him," she declared as they left the commissary. "I've pretty much ignored him all day." She smiled down on the little boy in question, who looked back up at her with a touch of confusion in his big blue eyes.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea, Carter," the teenaged Jack said quickly, noting the surprise and slight disappointment in his teammates' eyes. Workaholics, he wordlessly grumbled fondly. He was just glad to see Sam's devotion to Danny seemed to automatically interrupt her natural tendency to work for far too long into the night; they both deserved it.

"But we didn't finish making a plan for how we're going to handle the switch," Sam dutifully protested, her heart not really in it.

Jack waved off the concern. "It's Monday, Carter. We're not expecting our Asgard visitor until Thursday night. We'll piece it together tomorrow." He looked around at the rest of the team. "There aren't any objections, I hope."

Before any of them could answer, the tell-tale clicking of a familiar set of high heels approached, and Janet Fraiser quickly came into view. "I figured I'd catch you here," the doctor said as she reached them. She focused on the teenager. "I think Jacob and I have come up with something. We could really use you with us in the lab to make sure."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Great. I get to go from brain drain to guinea pig. My day is complete." He looked at Sam. "Go home. Play with the kid. Have fun. And then get back here tomorrow morning and help us figure out how we're going to settle this thing once and for all."

"Go ahead, Sam," Daniel told her when she looked at the others in a long moment of hesitation. "Jack's right. We have a little time. It shouldn't take us long to finish putting a plan together."

"Daniel Jackson is correct, Major Carter," Teal'c added. "We have accomplished much this day."

Sabrina gave her a smile. "It's important that you try to keep as regular a schedule as you can, you know that. Besides, I was hoping to talk with Jonas yet tonight."

Sam's eyebrows lifted. "Really?" she retorted playfully.

The psychologist's expression grew impish. "Think anything you'd like, but I'll leave it at that." Jonas blushed slightly.

"That's my cue to make a quick exit. Get me out of here, Doc," Jack said with another roll of his eyes as he led Janet away. The auburn-haired woman merely chuckled and shook her head as she followed.

"We'll see you both tomorrow, Sam," Daniel said with a smile for Danny as well as his friend.

The rest of the farewells went swiftly, and once Daniel and Teal'c had left for the archaeologist's office to work on a translation, Jonas and Sabrina found themselves alone.

The black-haired woman eyed up her suddenly-nervous companion. "I believe you wanted to talk to me," she eventually said mildly, leaving the ball in the Kelownan's court.

Jonas sighed. "I do. We can go to my room."

"After you," Sabrina said simply.

"Please sit down," Jonas told his guest once he'd shut the door to his quarters behind the two of them. He gestured to a small table with two chairs.

Sabrina merely gave him a smile and accepted his offer, settling in to calmly watch the Kelownan, who began pacing in front of the door.

Finally he stopped in his tracks and sighed, his chin dropping to his chest. Then he brought his head back up and looked Sabrina in the eye. "I feel lost," he said simply.

The psychologist saw the truth of that statement in the blue-green eyes. "Why?" she retorted softly, her expression neutral.

"Daniel."

"Why?" the seated woman repeated just as softly as the first time.

"The trip we just came back from…" Jonas began. He stopped himself. "Daniel didn't need me. It was his idea from the beginning, and he knew exactly what he was looking for."

"Did he?" Sabrina interrupted, her eyebrows rising.

Jonas blinked in surprise. "Well, yes…"

Sabrina gave him a half-smile. "That's not what I've seen."

The brown-haired man's eyebrows came together in confusion. "What?"

"Jonas, think about this for a second. If Daniel knew what information he needed, that brainstorming session we just went through wouldn't have been necessary. He would have flipped through his notes, told us the facts, and we would have put the timeframe together as quick as you please. And I have a feeling that he wasn't the only one asking questions while you both were out there." Sabrina looked at Jonas expectantly.

"No, I asked questions," the man confirmed.

"And I seem to recall Daniel mentioning earlier today how the two of you discussed everything on the plane between stops and on the way back home."

Jonas sighed. "Well, yes, we did. But I'm not sure you understand…"

Sabrina frowned. "Understand what? That Daniel obviously values your input? That you really did contribute? That your team still considers you to be one of them?"

"When I first came to Earth, Daniel was still alive, but dying a horrible death I had just seen four of my colleagues suffer," Jonas said softly. "I knew I would be considered a traitor on Kelowna, and people at the SGC, hearing pretty quickly that I'd been involved in the incident that was the cause of Daniel's suffering, were looking at me sideways. After Daniel ascended and SG-1 started grieving, those looks got worse. And I couldn't blame them.

"It took me too long to do the right thing in regards to the truth about Daniel's involvement in the naquadria accident. The fact that I cowered in a corner while he saved millions of people he didn't even know haunted me, too. It still does. But the SGC took me in anyway. They allowed me to start reading about Earth history and languages, to try and find a way to help. They let me read SG-1's mission reports. And they even let me read and memorize Daniel's work."

Jonas sighed. "When I read his journals, I got an even better understanding of the kind of man he was… is," he corrected himself quickly. "And I saw people's faces when they came to the office to give me translation work. I was standing in a long, looming shadow, and in boots far too large for me to ever fill. But I knew I had to keep trying to do what I could to help, maybe find my own small place, not just to help the people of my planet, but to finish what Daniel had started.

"I was just starting to find my equilibrium, my niche, when Daniel came back." He smiled at the psychologist. "I know we covered this part before. But I just can't shake this lost feeling his return seems to have caused in me."

"You've spent so much time trying to make up for what you perceived as a wrong you caused him," Sabrina mused, her eyes narrowed slightly in thought. "In your own way, you're just as much to blame for being in Daniel's shadow as anyone else. I don't blame you, exactly; it's perfectly logical. But I think the time for your self-imposed penance is over."

"Logically, I understand," Jonas told her. "But it's hard to make myself really believe it."

Sabrina smiled as the answer came to her. "That's because there's only one man who can lift that load for you. You don't believe you're worthy enough to make that decision."

Jonas blinked. "What?"

"Only Daniel can give you the absolution you need, Jonas," Sabrina explained. "We could sit here and talk for years, examine every minute detail of every nanosecond since the moment you first met Daniel, but nothing you or I say is going to lift the burden of guilt you're feeling. That's not to say I wouldn't do that, because I truly consider you a friend, but it's not the solution you need. And you deserve that inner peace, Jonas. You're a good man. Just the fact that you've been so determined to do right for a people that have rejected you and labeled you a traitor, and for a man you barely knew and his friends and comrades, tells me that. I _admire_ that."

"So you want me to…" Jonas began, swallowing down a sudden nervous lump in his throat.

"You need to tell Daniel everything you just told me. He'll take it from there. It's going to take one hell of an act of courage from you, but I know you can do it." The black-haired woman gave him a half-smile. "I don't think he bites."

Jonas bit his lower lip for a moment. "I don't know when to talk to him. This thing with Colonel O'Neill and his clone and the Asgard…"

Sabrina shrugged. "Yeah, I'd agree this isn't the best time. But it's all going to be resolved one way or the other by the end of the week. Soon after that should be all right. I wouldn't wait too long, though. You can't be doubting yourself every time Daniel comes up with an idea or translation. You won't be good to anyone that way."

Jonas took a deep breath then slowly released it. "You're right, Sabrina. I… I need to resolve this, one way or the other. I'll talk to him as soon as we solve this whole thing." He smiled.

Sabrina stood and stepped over to him, impulsively wrapping the Kelownan in a hearty hug. "You'll be just fine, I know it," she whispered in his ear as he returned the embrace. "And you can still talk to me about this any time you want." She pulled back to arms' length, still gripping his upper arms, and gave him a grin. "No charge for good friends."

"Thanks, Sabrina," Jonas said, also smiling. "That means a lot."

"Now let's go to the commissary. I'm craving ice cream." She squeezed his arms one last time before releasing him completely, then headed for the door. Jonas merely smiled a little wider and followed.

* * *

The next morning SG-1 reconvened in Sam's lab with Danny again on a computer in the corner, while Janet and Jacob were back in the medical lab running further tests with Doctor MacDonald's serum. The five-person team took most of the morning putting together their plan to catch the Asgard responsible for everything on Thursday night. They went to lunch after making arrangements for a briefing with General Hammond in the early afternoon.

When they'd gathered around the table in the briefing room, Sam having put Danny down for his afternoon nap, the team found they were being joined by Janet and Jacob. Apparently they also had a report, and everything was being taken care of in one fell swoop.

"We managed to calculate approximately a seven day gap between abductions, which places the upcoming switch at Thursday night," Daniel began once the general had been seated and called everything to order. "Now, while we can't be sure who or what we'll be facing, we have a plan to subdue the Asgard responsible and get the answers we're looking for."

"Like we discussed earlier," Sam continued, "this switch is most likely our only chance for the capture. We _are_ fairly certain Colonel O'Neill will be returned in any case."

"How are you planning on intercepting the transfer?" Hammond asked.

Jack sighed when he saw Sam and Daniel share a slightly nervous look. "I'm going to be the bait, General," the teenager offered. "I'll have to have a weapon of some sort, of course, but once I'm transported up to the Asgard ship I should be in a pretty good position to surprise whoever's there and beam up the others. If this really is a rogue agent like we've been talking about, I don't think there'll be much resistance."

Hammond frowned. "I don't think I like the idea of putting you in that kind of danger."

Jack shrugged. "Like I told these guys when they said pretty much the same thing this morning, no one else is going to be able to do it. I doubt I'll get beamed up if the ship sensors pick up anyone else with me, and unless someone is right next to me when everything lights up no one's going to be able to reach me to hitch a ride. We don't have any other options."

"We'd be as close as we could be, of course," Sam assured the base commander. "And we'd be prepared to assist as soon as we were transported onto the Asgard vessel."

"Not to mention we'd be immediately on site to check on the colonel and make sure he's all right," Jonas added.

"I might be able to get you access to Tok'ra communicators so that you could stay in contact even after transport," Jacob offered. "And I'd be willing to join the team."

Sam gave him a smile. "Thanks, Dad." He returned the expression.

The general shook his head. "That's all well and good, people, but I still have some reservations."

"Then let me add something," Janet said, joining the discussion for the first time. She opened the folder that rested on the table in front of her. "We finished our testing of Doctor MacDonald's serum in relation to Jack's condition. Now, I haven't been able to isolate the exact cause for the reaction, but it triggers an excessive immune response, along the lines of a deadly allergic reaction or a transplant rejection. Only by slightly modifying the main protein in the serum and diluting it is it useful at all." She sighed. "However, that leaves me with a treatment that only keeps the degradation from progressing further, and it has to be re-administered every ten to fourteen days. It is nowhere near a permanent solution, and eventually it won't work at all."

"Our guess is that Doctor MacDonald was able to work with his formula because of the immunodeficiency of the children at the lab," Jacob added.

"So what are you saying, Doctor?" Hammond asked.

"The best chance for a true solution to Jack's genetic degradation is not going to be found here." The petite physician shot a quick apologetic look toward the young man. "I won't give up, of course, but I can't guarantee anything."

Teal'c lifted an eyebrow. "Perhaps the Asgard responsible can correct his mistake."

Jack grinned wickedly. "Just let me have a nine mil and I'll get a solution out of the sucker."

Hammond sighed. "No nine millimeter," he said firmly. He raised a hand before anyone could protest. "I'll have a zat gun issued to you. That's as far as I'm willing to go."

"That's all I'll need," Jack assured him, his eyes sparkling. "Thank you, sir."

"Is there anything else I need to know?" the bald general asked after giving a slight, almost imperceptible nod to the teenager.

The rest of the meeting covered the rest of the details of both groups' research and plans. Then General Hammond dismissed them and returned to his office to discuss the matter with his superiors, leaving the seven of them to their own devices. After a brief discussion, they split back up into their two groups to go over what they'd presented to see if there was anything that had been missed. All of them knew it was going to be a stressful next two days.

* * *

Thursday evening came with no further surprises or revelations, and the members of SG-1 were in position in and around Jack O'Neill's home waiting for the fun to begin. Jacob had stayed at the base to watch Danny, Janet having been called away at the last moment to care for injured members of SG-2. The team had returned home early from a first contact mission under fire from the natives.

As the night went on and nothing happened, Jack lay on the bed getting more and more bored. He flipped through a copy of Cracked magazine, merely skimming over things before reaching for the normal walkie talkies they were using, as Jacob had been unable to get them Tok'ra communicators.

"Carter, Jonas, you still got your ears on?" the teenager asked, the magazine falling open onto his chest.

Outside in the driveway near the back of the house closest to the bedroom, Sam glanced at Jonas before responding. "Yes, sir," she said, managing to keep her half-smile out of her tone.

"Teal'c, Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Everything appears to be normal, O'Neill," Teal'c replied while Daniel glanced around their position in the bushes toward the far edge of the lawn at the front of the house.

Inside, Jack frowned. "Yeah, well, not to me," he grumbled into the handheld device.

Daniel quietly chuckled and took the walkie talkie from the Jaffa. "Sounds like someone's bored," he commented.

"Oh, don't start with me," Jack replied testily.

"Do you want to go over the instructions I gave you again?" Sam asked. Jonas stood beside her trying not to laugh at the previous exchange.

Jack sighed. "Don't worry, Carter. I'm sure I'll figure it out."

Just then the bright light of an Asgard transport beam enveloped the young man, flashing through the windows and immediately causing Sam and Jonas to run for the front door. Teal'c and Daniel, seeing their teammates' hurry, moved quickly to join them. It wasn't long before the four of them rushed into Jack's bedroom and found the adult version of their friend deeply asleep on the bed, face down, knees curled up somewhat beneath him, butt in the air, and snoring slightly.

Sam reached out and shook his shoulder. "Colonel? Are you all right?" she asked urgently. She stepped back surprised when there was no response.

Jonas glanced at her, brows furrowed in worry. "Colonel?" he repeated.

"Jack! Jack!" Daniel called, barely stopping himself from shaking the prone man again. He knew how jumpy Jack could be when startled awake, and admired Sam for her previous bravery.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said, a note in his tone he normally reserved for dangerous off-world situations. It was amazing the kind of messages the Jaffa could deliver without raising his voice.

It was apparent the last call finally reached the sleeping air force colonel when Jack started with a snort, his eyes blinking furiously. After a moment of orientation, he maneuvered his head to look bleary-eyed at his four visitors. "What are you all doing in my bedroom?" he finally asked.

The others shared a look. They hadn't considered this part of the plan. "Well…" Daniel started, racking his brain to figure out how to say what needed to be said.

Jack scowled and squeezed his eyes shut, pulling an arm out from under himself to wave off the explanation attempt. Then he took a deep breath and pushed himself up, groggily adjusting his body into a sitting position. Once he was settled on the edge of the bed, he reopened his eyes to a half-lidded stance. "I assume this is important?" he eventually asked.

"Just a little, sir," Sam answered.

"We wouldn't be here otherwise," Jonas added.

Jack sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, letting his face fall into his hands where he tried to rub the sleep away. When he raised his head once again, he pushed himself to his feet and arched his back slightly, stretching. Then he silently glanced from one person to another, going back and forth along the line they had inadvertently formed beside the bed. Finally his eyes paused and he took a deep breath. "You know, I was having the weirdest dream," he commented.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Priorities, Jack. Priorities."

Again the blinding flash of an Asgard transport beam cut off any potential response, and the next thing the members of SG-1 knew, they were standing on board an orbiting alien vessel. The four of them that were aware of why they were there quickly looked around and saw that the situation was secure, a single Asgard unconscious and zip-stripped to an examination table.

"See, Carter? Told you it wouldn't be a problem." The teenage Jack walked over to the group from behind a pair of consoles and joined them with a smirk on his face, trying and failing not to stare at his older counterpart.

Said counterpart of the smug young man returned the scrutiny with total confusion. He finally tore his gaze away and looked at the others. "What's going on?"

Daniel, Sam, and Jonas shared a nervous look while Teal'c merely continued to watch the developing situation. "Well, Jack," the archaeologist began, "it's a long story."

The younger Jack cleared his throat when Daniel failed to continue. "Um, wow, uh, you know I'm…" He hesitated for a moment when all the attention returned to him with a vengeance. "I'm really much taller than I thought I was."

"Carter?" Jack pleaded, immediately turning away to look at his second in command.

"Colonel O'Neill," Sam said with a weak half-smile, "meet Jack O'Neill."

Jack's head spun to the teenager, then back to Sam. His expression became one of irritation on top of the original confusion. "What's going on?"

Daniel sighed and gestured at the restrained figure behind them. "We're pretty sure this Asgard over here kidnapped you and tried to replace you with a clone."

Jack straightened a bit and blinked furiously, his features changing to utter bewilderment. "How long was I asleep?" he asked incredulously.

"Seven days," Jonas offered, watching his team leader carefully.

"That's a record," the colonel replied, blinking some more. He took a deep breath and turned his attention to his teenage clone. "So you're… me?"

The younger O'Neill shrugged. "Sort of. We share the same building blocks at any rate." He shrugged again.

Just then, the Asgard moaned and started to move a bit against the restraints.

"He is awake," Teal'c announced as he glanced over at the prisoner, inspiring Daniel, Sam, and Jonas to hurry over and place themselves on either side of the table.

"What is happening?" the Asgard asked haltingly, blinking his large black eyes as he looked from side to side.

"We were kind of hoping you could tell us," Sam responded expectantly.

The little alien began to shake his head from side to side. "No, no, no, this is all wrong."

That statement set off the still confused adult Jack O'Neill, who stormed over to stand near the head of the table, towering over the face of the Asgard. "Hey!" he protested indignantly. "I'll tell you what's wrong! I just woke up, haven't had coffee let alone a pee in seven days, and I find out you stole my ass and made a… mini-me." He glanced at Sam, who stood beside him. "Carter, I should be irked currently, yes?"

Sam blinked, surprised by the question. "Well, yes, I… I would be," she stammered.

"I think you're more than justified," Jonas added from where he stood across the table from Sam.

"Why don't you tell us who you are?" Daniel asked the Asgard reasonably, keeping his own emotions in check.

"Loki," the alien replied simply.

"According to Norse mythology, that's the god of mischief," the archaeologist explained.

Sam leaned in and gave Loki a stern look. "What did you want with Colonel O'Neill?" she demanded.

Loki stared up at the ceiling. "I have nothing else to say to any of you."

"Hey!" Jack cried again, slapping the side rail of the table. "We just saved your flat little white asses from the Replicators! This is the thanks we get?"

"Well, at least you know you're going to live to a ripe old age," the younger Jack quipped, crossing his arms over his chest. Then his eyebrows rose. "Well, rip_er_," he amended.

"What?" the colonel shot back, turning his head to look at the kid who'd interrupted his tirade.

The teenager sighed. "You may not have noticed, but this guy didn't exactly hit all the right buttons on the Xerox machine," he said, throwing his arms out to the side in demonstration. "Not only do I look younger than I think, but unless Doc Fraiser can pull off a miracle, this body is going to fall apart."

Jonas pointed at Loki. "He still might be able to fix you," he offered.

Loki shook his head. "I cannot. All the clones suffer the same fate."

"Why am I not surprised?" Jack's clone said with a roll of his eyes.

"You've got to be kidding," Jonas said, a horrified expression shaping his features. "You let all those clones die a… a terrible death?"

The original O'Neill waved his hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, hold on a minute. I'm going back to my original question. What's going on?"

"I am a scientist," Loki began, "a former geneticist with the Asgard Ruling Council."

"Former?" Sam queried.

"I was stripped of my stature after I was caught performing unsanctioned experiments on humans."

Jack stared at him. "You've got sanctioned ones?"

The younger Jack scoffed. "After what I've been through this week, I'm not surprised in the least." He crossed his arms over his chest again.

"I merely had the courage to do what was necessary to advance our cloning technology," Loki justified himself a little defensively.

"Instead of courage, some might call it a lack of morality," Daniel chided.

"Our population cannot withstand the duplication process for much longer," Loki said.

Sam's eyebrows came together in confusion. "Well, how can experimenting on humans change that?"

Loki looked at her. "Your bodies are similar to our original form thousands of years ago. Using your physical makeup as a template, I had hoped to find a way to construct a clone that could contain our massively superior intellect. My research was unsuccessful."

The teenager rolled his eyes. "So much for massively superior intellect."

The adult O'Neill glanced at him. "I was going to say that." His younger counterpart shot him a smirk.

"I was going to say," Loki continued, "it was unsuccessful prior to my being caught and banished. I would have found what I needed eventually."

"Why risk coming back here and breaking the law after nineteen years?" Daniel asked curiously, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Because I thought he was the one," Loki answered simply.

"Me?" both Jacks said simultaneously, then shared a look.

Loki still looked at Daniel. "I believed his genetic code contained the key."

"Mine?" both Jacks once again said simultaneously.

The adult scowled at the teenager. "Stop it," he griped. His expression deepened when he got a half-smirk in response.

Loki continued his explanation. "He was physiologically advanced enough to carry and utilize all the data from the Ancient repository of knowledge. That would not be possible for any human one generation ago. He is a significant step forward on your evolutionary path." The colonel preened a little at the statement.

"You just found this out recently?" Jonas asked, a little surprised.

"I learned about it when all the Asgard did," Loki replied. "O'Neill is legendary." The Asgard paused as the humans blinked in amazement at the pronouncement, then went on. "Most recently, the Asgard fleet has been distracted by the war with the Replicators and the subsequent relocation of our people."

The adult Jack's eyes narrowed. "So you took the opportunity when no one was looking to sneak back here."

Loki raised his chin slightly. "I do not regret my actions. I am trying to save my people."

"Okay, fine, you think you're going to be a hero," the younger Jack impatiently snapped, stepping over to the foot of the table. "Now call me selfish, but I want to know what you can do to save _me_."

"I cannot reverse your fate," Loki told him. "Nor can I explain why you did not mature to the proper age as you should have."

"Well, then it's easy to see why they kicked you out of the science club," the teenager quipped darkly, disappointment in his tone. His posture was tense and defensive, his arms yet again crossing over his chest.

The adult Jack shot him a quick look then frowned. "All right, I've heard enough." He walked purposefully over to the pair of consoles his younger counterpart had been standing at when the others first arrived. "Carter, can you call Thor on this thing?" Sam quickly joined him and began examining the set up.

Loki raised his head. "Please, do not." There was panic in the Asgard's tone.

"We've already tried contacting the Asgard a number of times," Sam said as she manipulated the lit stones.

"You know, I really don't think Thor knew about this," the teenage Jack said, walking away from the Asgard on the table halfway to the console.

Sam made one last adjustment and straightened with an air of accomplishment. "Okay. I'm pretty sure that's it."

They all waited and looked around in anticipation. There was a long, silent moment that led to absolutely nothing happening. The young clone sighed and cringed as he rubbed at the thick muscle between his neck and left shoulder.

Jack noticed the movement. "Are you all right?" he asked, his eyes narrowed as he came out from behind the console and stood beside the boy.

"Yeah, pretty much," the teenager replied, his right hand moving down to his left upper arm. "Fraiser said the shot she gave me would probably cause some muscle soreness from time to time." He shrugged. "Guess this is one of those times."

"A shot?" Jack asked.

"Janet managed to modify Doctor MacDonald's serum to keep my insides from completely turning to mush," the clone explained. "It doesn't fix anything, but it stops things from getting worse. But it won't last forever." Jack looked a bit disturbed by the pronouncement and how matter-of-factly it was delivered.

"Um, what do we do if Thor doesn't show up?" Daniel asked.

And then Thor appeared in a flash of light.

"Never mind," Daniel said with a small sigh.

"Well, it's about time!" Jack griped, stepping away from his clone.

Thor immediately headed for the restrained Loki. "I apologize for not coming sooner," he said as he walked. "Loki, what have you done?"

The younger Jack dropped his hand to his side. "Yeah, it seems he's been playing Doctor Moreau behind your back," he said snidely.

Jack turned and pointed at the young man. "Yes! Doctor Moreau!"

"You know why I am here," Thor said to his fellow Asgard. "You should have known O'Neill's genetic code was safeguarded for his own protection."

"Excuse me?" Jack blurted, his attention swiftly returning to his favorite Roswell Grey.

"A marker was placed in your DNA to prevent any attempts at genetic manipulation," Thor explained.

Daniel looked at Sam with an expression of realization. "The abnormality."

Sam gave him a smile of agreement. "That's why the clone didn't mature."

Thor walked back to a position between Jack and his clone. "Yes," he confirmed. "Loki will be punished for his actions."

"Is it true that Colonel O'Neill is the key to solving your cloning problems?" Jonas asked, moving over with Daniel and Sam to join the others.

"No," Thor answered.

"But I thought I was advanced," Jack whined. Daniel, Sam, and Jonas shook their heads while Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Only the younger Jack seemed somewhat sympathetic.

Thor gave a nod of his head. "Indeed you are, O'Neill. But our scientists have already determined that while you are an important step forward in the evolutionary chain, the missing link we have been searching for still eludes us."

Jack looked disappointed. "I'm sorry."

"Again, I apologize for any inconvenience Loki may have caused," Thor said with a gesture in Loki's direction.

"Yeah, that's what I'd call it," the younger Jack said, hurt in both his tone and expression.

"Unfortunately, the eventual genetic breakdown of the clone is not my doing, but rather a result of Loki's inept methods."

"There was no need for the clones to survive," Loki said matter-of-factly.

Jack looked around and saw the looks of horror develop on the faces of his teammates, especially on that of his clone. What really pulled at his heartstrings, however, was the fear behind the indignation that shaped the boy's features. No matter how weird this was for him, he had to do something.

The silver-haired man sighed. "Look, Thor. Is there anything you can do for him?" He glanced at the teenager. "The whining's starting to grate." He fought back a grin at the flash of irritation he inspired.

Thor blinked in surprise. "You wish your clone to live?" he asked, amazed.

"You can't just let me die!" the young clone protested.

"He's just a kid," Jack added, looking around again at all the intense, supportive expressions that surrounded him.

"Are you certain, O'Neill?" Thor asked.

Jack paused before answering, earning himself a few glares from his teammates and a smack on the arm from his younger version. "I'm thinking!" he cried, more of a knee-jerk reaction than anything. He met the black-eyed gaze of the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Thor bowed. "Very well. I will attempt to repair his DNA. If successful, he should continue to mature at a normal human rate."

Everyone reacted with relief, and Jack smiled. "Thanks," he said simply.

"Um, Thor?" Sam asked hesitantly before anyone moved, glancing nervously at Daniel. "Is there any chance you could do another test for us?"

"What kind of test would you wish me to perform, Major Carter?" Thor asked.

Sam sighed as a look of realization came across Jack and Jonas' faces. A moment later, the younger Jack also clued in, and Teal'c's eyebrow rose. "Could you do a scan of Daniel?" she asked. "We're relatively sure he's the original that was forced to descend after breaking the rules of the Ascended and trying to face off against Anubis, but for everyone's piece of mind, especially with everything we've gone through over the past two months, we'd like to have confirmation."

Daniel stared at her wide-eyed, utter shock transforming his features. He licked his lips and swallowed, then cleared his throat. "You've been afraid I was a clone?" he asked.

Sam gave him a stricken look. "I'm so sorry, Daniel. It's just that, well, after the NID lab and Danny…" She shrugged. "It was something we had to consider."

"You know she's right," Jack said to Daniel. "With how everything worked out on Abydos and you breaking the rules of some pretty powerful beings, well…" He sighed.

"Not to mention that was one of the first things you guys thought of when I showed up," the younger Jack added quickly. "And you can't say you didn't. _I_ thought of it, and that's the last thing I wanted to be true."

"I know, I know," Daniel said with a sigh. "I guess I can't blame you for wondering. It _does_ make sense." His gaze dropped to the floor.

Sam reached out and squeezed his arm comfortingly. "I don't think I said everything right, and I'm sorry for that, but I want you to know that we all have been pretty confident that you're not a clone. This is just our chance to eliminate the last tiny shred of doubt."

Jonas nodded. "Not to mention the doubts that General Hammond's superiors have expressed," he added.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started on that," he griped.

"You will have to tell me about these experiences you have spoken of," Thor said, glancing around at the people that surrounded him. "For now, let us begin to correct Loki's mistakes." He headed for the consoles.

"Sam, I'm okay," Daniel told the woman who still held his arm. "I was just surprised, that's all. Your logic makes perfect sense, and you're right. This will eliminate any doubt as to who I really am." He smiled at her. "No hard feelings, I promise."

"Thanks, Daniel," Sam said, returning the expression. "I was really afraid I was going to hurt you badly when I asked."

The young clone leaned closer, invading their personal space. "Could we just get going with this and save the make up session for later?" he griped. "I want everyone alert and paying attention in case the little guy needs help."

Daniel gave him a half-smile. "Nervous?"

The teenager straightened to his full height and blinked. "Who, me? Nah. This'll be a piece of cake." He turned and walked after Thor, the others following with varying expressions of amusement. The procedures began not long after.


	21. Chapter 20

Things on Thor's ship went smoothly, the clone's DNA being fixed and Daniel's status as the original being confirmed. Once the procedures were finished and the Asgard had been brought up to date as requested, Thor asked if it would be possible to take a sample of Doctor MacDonald's serum with him for further study, especially after seeing the effect of the modified version in the teenage Jack O'Neill. Janet agreed. But when Thor learned there was a limited quantity, he synthesized more, doubling what Janet had originally and satisfying his own and Jacob's needs, the blended human requesting a sample for the Tok'ra when he and the base CMO were contacted.

There was a briefing the next morning, and afterward Jack spoke with Hammond about having Daniel officially reinstated to SG-1. The general agreed. The only thing that wasn't resolved at that point was what to do with the teenage clone. The young man wasn't sure where he wanted to go, and no one else wanted to force him into anything.

The clone shut himself away in his on-base quarters on Saturday while Sam and Danny took advantage of the day off to spend their time together with Jacob, who would be returning to the Tok'ra the following day, at home. Jack also was grateful for the time away, deciding to clean and retreat his cedar wood deck. Teal'c spent his time as he usually did, working out and holding various classes for SGC personnel. Jonas and Daniel worked together in what was now their joint office, translating some of the backlog of documents that had built up slowly but surely over the past year.

As time went on through the day, Jonas kept sneaking looks at the brown-haired archaeologist, knowing the time had come to speak with him as he'd promised Sabrina but still gathering the courage to do so. Finally, when they'd finished a more recent translation from a world the SGC was still in negotiations with, Jonas was startled by a direct stare when he glanced over at his companion out of the corner of his eye.

"What's on your mind, Jonas?" Daniel asked patiently. "You've been looking at me sideways all day, and I really don't think your attention has been fully on our work. Is something bothering you?"

"You… could say that," Jonas admitted with a defeated sigh. He'd been hoping to be able to say he'd started this conversation on his own.

"Does this have to do with the way you've been depressed, especially around me, ever since I got here with Shamda and the rest of the refugees?" Daniel asked softly.

Jonas stared at him. The man was amazingly observant. But then, the Kelownan knew that already. "I had just started to find my feet here when you came back," he whispered, meeting the gentle gaze from the archaeologist. "It finally felt like the shadow you cast over me was lightening a little, or maybe that I was starting to step out from it. Then Sam and Janet found you in the infirmary, and that shadow felt as dark as it had ever been all over again." He gave a short, rueful chuckle. "You have no idea how large your shoes are to fill, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel's lips twisted wryly. "Oh, I doubt they're as large as you made yourself think, Jonas," he said in a tone that matched his expression. "Not that you should have been forced to do that in the first place."

Jonas shook his head. "No one forced anything on me, actually. I wanted to be here, to help, to… to do something for my people, who will _not_ see a bigger picture, and for the people who made _me_ see it. And most importantly, I wanted to do right by the man whose sacrifice saved a world full of people he didn't know and then was vilified for it. Who sacrificed himself when it should have been me…" He sighed again and let his eyes close. That was still a very painful memory to relive.

"It shouldn't have been anybody," Daniel said firmly.

"But it was," Jonas refuted. "With the experiments that the scientists were doing, an accident like the one that happened probably couldn't have been avoided. That's not the issue here. Those scientists were _my_ colleagues, _my_ countrymen… some of them were even my friends. That's not to mention everyone else. And _I'm_ the one who failed to act, who froze when something needed to be done."

Daniel narrowed his eyes slightly when Jonas paused to take a few deep breaths with his eyes closed. "Remind me again," he said after a moment, "what was your position when we met?"

Jonas' eyes popped open with a look of confusion. "Special Advisor to the High Minister," he replied automatically.

"How long had you held that position? How long had you been assigned to the naquadria project?"

"Six years. Doctor Kieran recruited me almost directly out of university. It was a couple of years later that I moved up the ranks to the actual position of Special Advisor, though."

"So, a man of academia, one focused on science and politics. Not the military and tactics."

Now Jonas could see where Daniel was taking this. "That's really no excuse…"

Daniel raised a hand to cut him off. "Before you met the members of SG-1, had you ever had your life threatened? Directly, I mean. Like in an accident or illness of some kind, or a mugging or robbery. Maybe even someone at school who didn't like that you were so much smarter than they were so they beat you up and you thought they'd never stop." The man's blue eyes bore into the blue-green ones before them.

"N-n-no," Jonas stammered, his brows coming together. For some reason he couldn't tear his gaze away. "My… my life wasn't perfect, of course, but in general I was liked by my fellow students. And I guess I was lucky enough to avoid getting seriously hurt in other ways."

Daniel smiled slightly. "While that certainly explains a lot of your optimism, it also explains a few other things. Like freezing when faced with your imminent death. And backing away from the source of that imminent death."

Jonas frowned. "But still…"

"I know you read all of SG-1's mission reports. So you already know that I had actually _died_ a number of times before I ever got to Kelowna. Facing it again was…" Daniel let out a short, wry chuckle, "old hat, I guess you could say. I normally wouldn't, by the way, but this is a special occasion."

"So what does that…" Jonas' words trailed off as his confusion returned.

"You've been with SG-1 for approximately a year now, Jonas," Daniel replied. "You know the kind of things this team does on a regular basis, what kind of threats it deals with. You know the kind of reflexes that kind of career choice produces first hand. And you also know how people react to threatening situations who have never experienced the kind of things we have. Do you blame them for that reaction?"

"No, of course not," Jonas immediately answered. "But…"

Daniel shook his head. "What 'but' could there be here? If you don't blame other people in the situation you were in, you can't blame yourself."

Jonas sighed. "But if you hadn't been there…"

"Don't do that to yourself, Jonas," Daniel interrupted firmly. "We can always say that about something; what-ifs can drive you insane if that's what you focus on. What if you and I had gone to the temple instead of the observation room so you could show me everything first hand? What if we'd stopped walking while we had our discussion about the translations of the temple and the merits of the naquadria bomb your people were trying to build? What if you'd been called away and it was Tomis Leed showing me around?" The archaeologist paused and blew out a gust of air. "Do you see what I mean? There are an infinite number of possibilities; that's where quantum theory says alternate realities come from." He shrugged. "Well, at least according to Sam. The point is, things happened the way they happened. I don't blame you - I _never_ blamed you - and you shouldn't blame yourself. I really wish you wouldn't."

The two men continued to stare at each other for a long, silent moment, and then Jonas let his eyelids drop as he took in a deep, shuddering breath. It was amazing how much weight had suddenly lifted from the Kelownan's shoulders once Daniel said those last two sentences. Sabrina had been right. Daniel had been the key. Now that the archaeologist had said he didn't believe Jonas was to blame for what had happened on that horrible day almost a year and a half ago, the Kelownan finally thought he could start to heal - and maybe, just maybe, start to forgive himself.

Jonas finally opened his eyes once again. "Thank you," he said softly.

Daniel smiled. "For what? Telling you the truth? Nothing to thank me for." His expression softened. "But you're welcome anyway." He glanced at the paperwork covering the main table in the office. "Why don't we take a break from all this and get something to eat? I'm sure the translations can wait that much longer."

"That sounds good," Jonas said, recovering his equilibrium. "That sounds really good."

The two men then left for the commissary, their steps - and at least one of their souls - lighter on the journey.

* * *

It was a couple of hours after Jacob had left through the stargate the next day when Janet, Danny, and the members of SG-1 received a request to get together in Sam's lab by Jack's teenage clone. Not long after that, everyone but Jack had gathered there, the Air Force colonel sending a message that he was still involved in catching up with the paperwork that had been done during the week he'd been gone. Danny was the only one who didn't realize it was just an excuse for the older man to avoid the situation.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've asked you here," the young clone began once everyone was settled, a half-smirk on his face.

"Would it have something to do with your day of thought yesterday?" Daniel retorted, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Jack said haughtily. "I tried to think things through and figure out where I wanted to go next. But I'm guessing you all knew that already."

Sam smiled at him. "Well, we suspected," she said gently.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Have you come to a decision then, young O'Neill?" the Jaffa asked.

"Well, I'd say it's more like I narrowed down my choices," Jack refuted. "I made a promise a few days back, if you'll recall, and there's only so many ways I can fulfill it."

"Promise?" Jonas asked.

The teenager met Danny's startled gaze. "I told a certain special someone that I would do what I could to help SG-1 no matter what. I plan on keeping my word." He gave the younger boy a smile and a wink, then returned his attention to the others. "And like I said, there's only so many ways I can do that."

Daniel leaned forward. "So what are you trying to decide between?"

Jack shrugged. "The best way to do what I can is to be a part of the program. And the only way to be a part of the program is to either be a part of the military - I'm thinking Air Force - or, well…" He let his words trail off.

"Um, I'm not sure the military would work out for you," Sam said slowly and thoughtfully.

"Sam's right," Janet agreed in response to the confused expression that appeared on Jack's face. "DNA profiles as well as fingerprints are standard components of a person's military record nowadays, and yours are identical to the colonel's. There would be a lot of strings to pull to slip you through without that being noticed by someone without clearance."

"And it's not likely anyone wants to go to that kind of trouble for me," Jack concluded with a sigh. "Yeah, I can see that. So that just leaves one way to get in the door." His expression became one of mild distaste.

Daniel began to smile. "Civilian scientist," he said, amusement in his tone. "And we all know how you feel about them."

Jack met the archaeologist's gaze and let the distaste fade from his features. "No, that's how _he_ feels about them," he refuted, pointing down at the floor. "When I was doing my thinking and came up with this alternative, I realized I needed a bit of an attitude adjustment. I'm not exactly over it yet," he added when he saw the skeptical looks on the adults' faces, "but I'm working on it. Look, this is my chance to really make myself into a true individual, to be different. And if I'm going to get back into the program, it looks like that's the way to do it. I'm just not looking forward to all the classes I'm going to have to take. I don't even know _which_ classes I'm going to have to take."

"So you haven't decided what you want to study?" Jonas asked.

"Not even close." Jack rolled his eyes. "I guess I'm going to have to take some classes to figure out what classes I'm going to have to take." He stopped and considered what he'd just said, then nodded when he figured it made enough sense.

"You're not actually going to take college courses, are you?" Daniel asked, suddenly tense.

Everyone looked at him. "I think the Air Force can arrange for a simple college admission," Sam said.

Jack waved her off. "I was thinking more along the lines of high school, as weird as that's going to be. Dip my toes in the water, so to speak." His eyes narrowed. "Is there a particular reason for the protest?"

Daniel straightened to his full height and sighed, letting his muscles relax. "You don't want to be a fifteen-year-old college freshman, trust me."

"Gotcha," Jack replied with a smile, while realization dawned for the other adults.

"High school, huh?" Janet said in a tone that was a deliberate attempt to steer the subject away from college. "Has Cassie taught you nothing?"

"Why do you think I'm nervous?" Jack retorted.

Sam tapped the table in front of her as she frowned in thought. "It's been a while since you remember attending high school," she began. "Maybe it would be best if we got a hold of the appropriate curriculum and did a little tutoring before you register for classes. That way you can be up-to-date knowledge-wise."

Daniel nodded. "And it should be easy enough for us to help you with that."

Jack smirked. "I don't know. I think you guys will be dumbing yourselves down. I don't want to slow you up too much."

"I think we'll be just fine," Sam said, returning the smile.

"I'll take care of getting the information," Janet said. "I'll give Cassie's school a call tomorrow morning and have them email it to me." She eyed up Jack speculatively. "I'm sure I'll have it by early afternoon."

"Thanks, you guys," Jack said softly after a slight pause. He took a deep breath and released it. "Well, I guess that means there's nothing to do until tomorrow then." He looked around almost nervously. "I'm, um, going to go back to my quarters. One of you guys can let the good colonel know it's safe to come out now. I'll talk to you later." And before anyone could say anything, the young man was gone.

Daniel looked at the others. "I guess that means the meeting is over," he quipped. Everyone else simply nodded.

* * *

Janet sat in her office the next day, staring at her computer screen and one email in particular. She'd gotten an idea while they'd all been talking with the teenage clone of Jack O'Neill, and had spoken with Cassie about it over dinner. The teenage girl had enthusiastically agreed, and had even offered to do some talking of her own if there was any resistance. Janet had laughed and said she'd use that threat as her ace in the hole.

For now, the petite physician had all the information she needed to get the ball rolling on everything. However, there was one person that could make things extremely difficult, and she knew she had to cut that possibility off at the pass. With a nod, she shut down her email program, double checked that everything was running smoothly in the infirmary, then headed out on her appointed round.

It wasn't long before she stood in front of her destination. A quick knock and command to enter, and she once again had entered Jack O'Neill's office ready to do some butt kicking if it was called for. She'd give him a chance to play nice first, though. "Hello, Colonel," she said pleasantly as she closed the door behind herself.

"Hey, Doc," Jack replied warily, looking up from a report that he'd been reading. "What brings you here?"

"I'm here to remind you that no matter what's happened lately, you're still unique, and no one can - or is trying to - take your place."

Jack stared at the auburn-haired woman, blinking at her nearly serene expression as he took in what she'd said. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked finally.

Janet's expression turned skeptical. "Oh, I think you know."

"No, really. You lost me."

"There's a clone of you living here at the base for the time being, and you claim not to know what I'm talking about?" Janet asked incredulously.

"Oh. That." Jack unconsciously stiffened as he deliberately turned his attention back to the report he still held. "I don't see what the problem is."

Janet clenched her jaw and mentally counted to ten before continuing. "I'm not saying you have to accept him with open arms, but there's no reason to let yourself be threatened by him."

Jack sighed and put down the folder. Knowing he wasn't getting out of this one, he met Janet's gaze. "The whole 'other me' thing weirds me out, Doc, you know that. I don't know how Daniel deals with it."

"I'm guessing he understands that he and Danny are two different people, even if they share the same DNA," Janet said simply.

"Well, they _are_ two different people," Jack agreed. "Now _my_ clone, on the other hand, shares almost all my memories with me."

Janet paused, then nodded. "Ah, yes. That _does_ make a difference." She took a breath and released it before continuing. "But you should know that he's doing his best to establish himself as different from you, as his own person. Can you imagine what this is like from _his_ perspective? As soon as we figured out he was a clone, he had to start coming to terms with the fact that he's a copy. I'm still not sure how he's managed to stay as positive as he has."

Jack's gaze fell to his desk, suddenly remembering the last moments of his android copy on the planet Juna. "If he's managed to pull that off with the memories he's got, I don't know how, either," he murmured.

Janet just nodded, then took a deep breath and released it. "He's trying to figure out what to do with his future; he talked about going to school so he can join the Stargate Program. And I think he's talking to us about his plans because he wants to gage whether or not we'll accept them - and more importantly, him. Are you going to give him a hard time if he decides to go to school around here?"

"You mean he _wants_ to stick around here?" Jack blurted out, totally surprised. "I thought you said he was trying to deal with being a copy of me?"

"He is, and this is how he's doing it," Janet told him. "He wants to go back to high school, move forward from there. And there was something in his eyes when he told us about it that just screamed out his need for our support."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "I thought you said he wasn't trying to take my place," he said suspiciously.

Janet frowned. "He's not," she snipped back. "He's finding his own place. He just wants his friends around as he does that, friends who have told him they can accept him as someone separate from you."

The silver-haired man's eyes narrowed even further. "You guys told him that?" he asked a bit darkly.

"Now you sound like a jealous little boy, worried that his friends might decide that the new kid in town would make a better best friend," Janet told him, exasperated. "Yes, I told him that, while Jacob and I were running tests on the effects of Doctor MacDonald's serum. He was looking a little lost and a lot exhausted, and I figured it would make him feel better if he knew I wasn't just running my tests out of scientific curiosity. I also know the general told him he was still considered one of us, and we were all just as worried about getting Loki to fix his genetic degradation as we were about getting you back. I think it's safe to say that even if no one else explicitly told him they accepted him, their actions said it loud and clear." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No," Jack answered shortly, his face closing off. "It won't be a problem, Doctor."

"Colonel," Janet began, but was cut off by Jack deliberately rising to his feet.

"No, Doctor Fraiser, it won't be a problem," Jack repeated softly but emotionlessly. "And I will not sit here and have you berate me any longer. Unlike my clone, I am _not_ a fresh-faced teenager who can be taken to task for anything that just doesn't sit well with you. Now, I suggest you take your meddling attitude and get back to the infirmary where you can pretend that the people putting up with your heavy-handed criticisms actually want to do it!" He slammed his hands on the desk as his words ended in a sharp shout.

Janet gasped harshly and immediately straightened to her full height as she involuntarily took a step back from Jack's desk. "You arrogant, self-centered son of a bitch!" she hissed, a deep pain blossoming in her chocolate brown eyes as she completely tensed up. "I came here to remind you that you can't just ignore this and make it go away. It's not good for you, and it's not good for your friends, who are actually worried about how you're taking this, heaven knows why. And I wanted you to know that your clone - who underneath the tough Jack O'Neill exterior is feeling pretty vulnerable and hating it - isn't planning on making things any easier on you by leaving. I was trying to give you a heads up. I was trying to show you I gave a damn about how you felt about it all. But now…" She shook her head as she let her words trail off, doing her best to keep the tears that were welling up in her eyes from falling. "You know what, Colonel O'Neill? Permission to speak freely or no permission to speak freely, go to hell. I'm going to help your clone establish himself in his new life, and if you don't like it, tough. And don't you _dare_ even think about getting in my way." With that, she spun around and stormed out the door, slamming it behind herself.

All Jack could do as the sound echoed around the room was stare at the closed door and wonder how in the hell he'd managed to screw this up so very badly.

* * *

Janet was still in her office fuming an hour later when a knock sounded at the door. "Come in," she called, doing her best to keep her voice neutral and school her face to match. She blinked when the door opened and she saw Sabrina Marconi standing there. "Sabrina! What are you doing here?"

Sabrina shrugged and entered the office. "I came in for my rescheduled meeting with Danny, actually. Sam arranged it with me early on Thursday. So what's going on with you?"

Janet sighed. "Oh, just working out some things in regards to Colonel O'Neill's clone now that everything with the Asgard is settled. He's going to need some help establishing a new life for himself."

"I can see that." Sabrina looked at the physician more closely. "So what's wrong? You seem upset about something. Did something not work out with the plans?"

"Let's just say that the colonel can be nasty when he lashes out," Janet said after a moment of hesitation.

Sabrina blinked. "Um, then I take it you talked to him about your plans to help his clone."

Janet took a deep, shuddering breath and released it before telling the psychologist about her earlier discussion with Jack. "If I were someone who had a little less solid hold on her emotions, that man would be wearing my handprint on the side of his face right now," she concluded.

Sabrina had to fight back a bark of laughter at the mental image. "Well, I suppose this attitude of his isn't entirely surprising, considering how he reacted to Danny's appearance," she said thoughtfully.

"So what do _you_ plan on saying to him?" Janet asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" the petite physician parroted incredulously.

The Italian woman shrugged. "I don't think an outside, objective perspective is what he needs here. At the core of it all is his need for reassurance that his life is _his_ and no one can come in and take his place, even if that someone is a clone and shares almost all of his memories. And only the people whose opinions matter most to him can give him that."

Janet frowned. "As long as we can tiptoe through his emotional minefield, that is," she added darkly.

Sabrina nodded. "True. But then, you've all done that before, so it's not exactly new territory for you." Her eyebrows rose. "I even seem to recall you doing it rather recently when a certain grouch of a colonel had a thorn in his paw when Daniel came back without his memories. What's different now?"

"What he said hurt," Janet whispered after a long moment of silence, her gaze having dropped to the desk in front of her. "He threw my attempt at comfort and sympathy back in my face, complete with a punch in the stomach to go with it." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "The worst part is he has every right to feel the way he does. I can only imagine just how strange and unsettling it has to be to have a clone running around with almost all of your memories. It makes sense to lash out. But it still hurt like hell when he did it." She brought her eyes up to meet her friend's. "And I'm having a really hard time letting that hurt go."

"Wow," Sabrina said softly, her mind going a mile a minute trying to figure this one out. "Um, it sounds like your biggest problem, then, is the hurt you're feeling rather than the lashing out the colonel did. Am I right?"

Janet considered it. "I guess it is, now that you put it that way," she admitted. "But why would I feel that way?"

Sabrina smiled, a suspicion blooming. "I think that's the question you need to answer for yourself," she replied, trying to keep her tone neutral. "That's the only way to get past the pain."

"You think you know," Janet accused the psychologist, her brown eyes narrowing. "Why aren't you telling me?"

"I don't know anything for sure," Sabrina retorted with a laugh. "And even if I did, I wouldn't say anything. The answer will only mean something if you figure it out all on your own."

Janet stared at her for a long, intense moment, then blew out a loud, frustrated breath when she saw she wouldn't be getting any more than that. She couldn't even threaten the other woman with uncomfortable examinations in the future since she wasn't stationed permanently at the SGC. "Just for the record, this isn't fair," she said with a touch of petulance in her tone.

Sabrina laughed. "I don't deny that," she said. "So when is your shift over? I was thinking we could grab a drink or two at that coffee shop down the street from my apartment before you head home to Cassie."

"That sounds good, actually." Janet checked the clock. "I get done in an hour. But I should have my little chat with the colonel's clone. I have everything in place for him, but he needs to okay it before it can be put into motion. Are you willing to wait? Cassie has a senior class officer meeting after school and won't be home until right around six, so I have some extra time."

"That's fine," Sabrina agreed. "I can check in with Jonas and Daniel, see what they're up to. You should be able to find me there when you're finished."

"It's a deal. I'll see you soon." Janet shared a smile with the other woman then watched her leave the office. When the door closed behind her, the doctor sighed, picked up the copies of the information she'd put together and printed out earlier, and headed out to see the teenage clone of Jack O'Neill. She couldn't hold back the wish that this Jack would be much more reasonable than the older one. She really couldn't take being rebuffed by both versions of the man.

* * *

"I take it you have that information you were going to ask for," the young clone said once he'd invited Janet into his room after he'd answered a knock and found her standing there. He pointed at the folder that the woman held. "Is that it?"

"Yes, it is," Janet confirmed. "But there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

The teenager blinked. "Really? Like what?"

Janet watched him carefully. "What kind of living arrangements were you thinking of setting up for yourself?"

"Well, um…" He cleared his throat nervously. "I figure the Air Force will set me up with a little apartment wherever I end up. It shouldn't be too big a deal."

"No, it shouldn't," Janet agreed softly. She sighed. "Were you thinking of staying in Colorado Springs?"

The young man hesitated before answering. "I'd like to, if it wouldn't freak anybody out. But I don't have to stay."

The doctor shook her head. "No, you don't have to. But if you _want_ to, you really should. And I have a solution for you."

"What's that?"

"Stay with me."

The teenager's eyes widened as his body tensed. "Wait a minute, Doc. I don't know about that. I'm not going to impose on you when I know I can just get a little place of my own and not be a burden."

Janet frowned. "I wouldn't have offered if I thought you were going to be a burden. I just thought that it would be better for you if you didn't go through everything alone. I have the room, and I'm more than willing to share."

"But what about Cassie? Don't you think it'll be weird for her to…"

"I talked this over with Cassie last night, and she's thrilled with the idea. This way she has someone to hang out with at home when I'm not around. And she told me to tell you she fully plans to give you a piece of her mind if you don't agree." Janet couldn't fight back a smile.

"That _is_ a scary thought," he murmured, a tiny smirk turning up the corners of his lips. The expression faded. "But it would be really weird for me, staying with you. I mean, I can remember being on my own for years."

The auburn-haired woman's smile turned sympathetic. "I can understand that. But I know you're going to have one heck of an adjustment period coming up, and I want to be there to help. So does Cassie. And I know Sam, Daniel, Jonas, and Teal'c will, too. Besides, this way you won't have to hide your living situation, or have to come up with an outrageous cover story for why you don't have a parent or guardian coming to parent/teacher conferences. And just who would call in for you if you were sick?"

The boy scowled. "I don't need a parent or guardian. I can take care of myself," he insisted.

Janet rolled her eyes. "I'm fully aware of that. But the world is going to look at you and assume you can't, or at least that you shouldn't. Between us, it would just be a simple roommate arrangement. We can come up with a cover story that explains how I'm your guardian and leave it at that."

"You know, I can suddenly see you commiserating with one of my teachers about my attitude," the teenager said after a moment, a spark of humor flashing in his eyes.

"That's certainly not out of the realm of possibilities," Janet agreed, smiling at the thought.

The young man sighed. "Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly, the humor gone as swiftly as it had come. "I noticed a glaring omission of a certain colonel's name in your list of supporters. Isn't that going to cause a problem?"

Janet's expression turned dark. "Not if he values his health, it won't." She took a deep breath and released it. "I told you this once before, I see you as someone separate from the colonel, someone I still consider my friend. And as a friend, I want to help you in the best way I know how." She gave him a smile. "Most importantly, I don't think you should be alone if you don't have to be."

Jack's clone locked gazes with the petite woman, searching the chocolate brown orbs intensely. Finally, he released a breath with a shudder, his lids closing when he found what he was looking for. "You're not going to play mommy," he said as he opened his eyes once again, his tone turning the statement into a request for a promise.

"I've already adopted a daughter," Janet replied, amused. "I don't need to adopt a son that doesn't need parenting."

"That'll do." He cocked his head slightly to the side. "So what are you thinking for a cover story?"

Janet sighed. "I thought of a couple ideas, but when I tried to develop them they ended up sounding… stupid." She looked a little embarrassed at the admission.

The young man laughed. "Yeah, well, it's not like that sort of thing is your specialty, Doc," he excused her. "Don't worry about it. We've got time; we'll come up with something." He gestured at the folder the doctor still held as he moved over to the small table against a wall and sat down in one of the accompanying chairs. "What's in the folder?"

"The information Cassie's school sent me about what you'll need to know to enter high school. As Thor has told us your physical age is about fifteen, we'll see about getting you into the tenth grade."

"Well, if we can manage to get me ready before the end of the year," the boy amended with a wry smile. "It _is_ April, after all."

"Very true," Janet agreed. "But I think it would be best if we did. It would help you get settled in the long run to have the month, month and a half of experience before going through your first full year. If you find it really too hard to adjust, we can make arrangements for home schooling." She made air quotes as she said the last two words.

The teenager nodded thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought of that option. I think I still need to give school a try, though, so I can get used to dealing socially with people closer to my actual age, instead of how old I think I am." He shrugged. "I doubt it'll be easy, but oh well."

Janet smiled. "You'll be fine. Now, I started some of the paperwork, so if you're really okay with this, we can get the ball rolling pretty quickly." She took out some papers from the folder and handed them over.

"I notice you left the name blank," the young man said quietly.

"I wasn't sure how you were going to handle that," Janet replied with the same softness.

"I've been Jack O'Neill for a long time. Well, so I remember," he immediately corrected himself. "It might be too hard to totally change my name. So I was thinking about things yesterday after I talked to you guys, and I realized that all I really had to change is what I go by. I mean, Jonathan is a relatively common name, and so is O'Neill." He rolled his eyes. "I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I was related to this O'Neill or that O'Neill. Anyway, I've decided to go by Jon instead of Jack. That… should be enough."

Janet's brow furrowed in confusion. "Just that little change?" she asked.

Jon chuckled. "Oh, yeah. Trust me when I say it's more than enough. You have no idea just how much Jack hates being called Jon. That's the reason he goes to so much trouble to have the name Jack put on his IDs."

The doctor's furrow cleared. "I always wondered about that."

"Now you know."

"So, Jon," Janet said with a smile, happy to see it was quickly returned, "do you think I can leave you with this paperwork? I need to get back to the infirmary and check on things before my shift ends."

"Not a problem, Doc. If I have any questions, I'm sure there'll be someone around I can ask. If nothing else, I can wait until tomorrow and ask you." Jon's smile grew a little wider.

Janet's expression widened as well as she handed over the rest of the folder. "You can definitely do that. You can feel free to call me, too. Anyway," she continued after she got a nod of acknowledgement, "I'm going to go. You have a good night."

"Thanks, Janet," Jon said quietly, then watched the auburn-haired woman leave the room. He smiled gently at the closed door, his heart full from the determination to help him move forward into a new life. He knew for sure now that his friends really cared about him as his own person, and that would make things easier from now on. This weird new life was actually pretty good.

Jon chuckled to himself and shook his head, then turned his attention to the stack of paperwork Janet had left him.


	22. Chapter 21

_I'm a little bit late, but I thought I would post a chapter for my birthday (September 2) as a present for all my readers. Thanks for sticking with me on this long journey. I appreciate it more than you know!_

* * *

As the time got close to five o'clock, Sam found herself getting nervous. She'd agreed with Sabrina that it might be time to expose Danny to some different social situations; a quick grocery run after work sounded like a good idea. Or _did_ when Sam discussed it with the raven-haired psychologist that morning. With her teammates, Sabrina, Janet, and Cassie coming over for a late supper in a couple hours, she wasn't a hundred percent sure of that anymore.

Sighing, Sam gave up on her current project for the night. "Why don't you go ahead and shut everything down, Danny?" she told her ward. "We can head out a little early and pick up some things from the grocery store before getting ready for supper."

Danny turned his head to look at her, his eyes wide. "Grocery store?" he asked. Then his brows creased in confusion. "What's a grocery store?"

It was Sam's turn to stare at him with confusion. It suddenly occurred to her that this was a topic that had never come up before. In fact, she herself hadn't been grocery shopping since before Danny had come home with her. Janet, Jonas, and Teal'c had been kind enough to pick up things for her before coming over for visits. She'd even laughed to herself over the variety and amounts of food her two teammates in particular had provided. She supposed it was about time she got back to providing for her household herself.

"That's where we go to buy food," she answered after a moment. She smiled. "We shouldn't be too long."

"Oh," Danny said quietly, then returned his attention to his computer to shut it down.

"It'll be all right," Sam reassured the boy, noticing the sudden tenseness in his body. "You'll be with me the whole time. We'll keep it short, and then we'll go home and have dinner with our friends."

Danny finished what he was doing and closed the laptop, then turned to face Sam fully. "You'll be right there? All the time?" he asked anxiously.

Sam smiled. "All the time. We'll grab some food, I'll pay for it, and we'll go home. Simple as that."

The young boy took a deep breath and released it. "Okay."

"Oh, Danny," Sam said softly as she took him into a warm embrace. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this sooner. But this is an errand that's going to end up coming up pretty regularly, so we'll both have to get used to doing it." She pulled back slightly and gave him a little grin. "We have to get our food somehow, right?"

"Yeah," Danny whispered, returning the expression a bit shakily.

"So let's go. We have a dinner party to get ready for." Sam lifted him off his stool and set him down onto the floor. Once Danny nodded, the two of them were off.

* * *

Sam sighed as she looked at all the choices in front of her. Who would have imagined there were that many varieties of juice? A quick glance at Danny standing a few steps away from the end of her cart said she wouldn't be getting any help from that quarter, not that she ever expected any. He was still getting used to choosing an outfit from amongst five choices; this wall of juice-filled shelves would probably set his progress back weeks.

She sighed again. Okay, that was an exaggeration. But she was sure Sabrina would advise her against even asking him to help her narrow it down. Considering _her_ head was spinning, she had to agree.

Danny really was making progress, though. Sam was pretty sure he was showing signs of having a favorite pair of tennis shoes, and there seemed to be a distinct preference for the color red. When they got to the store, it somehow didn't surprise her that he wanted to walk instead of sitting in the cart; a tiny seed of independence was apparently taking root, at least as far as being "coddled" - the description being taken from a harried mother responding to her young child's demand for a cart when she only needed to grab a few items as Sam and Danny walked in. Then again, considering the source of her ward's DNA, Sam was sure that seed would some day grow deep roots. Very deep.

The blonde physicist was pondering a grape/pomegranate/cranberry blend and asking herself when pomegranate had become so popular when a woman's shout caught her attention.

"Boys! Watch where you're going!"

The sound and sensation of another shopping cart hitting her own completed the distraction.

"Oh, boys."

After a quick check on Danny, Sam turned her head to see a red-haired lady somewhat younger than herself hurry over and crouch down next to a pair of little boys around Danny's age who had apparently been pushing the cart. They seemed a little shaken up by the incident.

"Are you two all right?" the redhead asked as she gathered them into a gentle embrace.

"I think so, Mommy," one of the boys, a redhead with hair a couple of shades darker than his mother's, said, blinking. The other boy just nodded, his black hair flopping around a bit at the motion.

The woman looked up at Sam with a rueful smile. "I'm so sorry. I hope you weren't hurt. The boys are a little… enthusiastic."

Sam's lips had been twitching upward, and now she let the wide smile form. "Don't worry about it; accidents happen. We're both fine."

"Both?" The other woman looked in the direction Sam had gestured and saw a wide-eyed Danny staring at the spectacle from a few steps down the aisle. She stood up as she cringed. "Oh, I'm even more sorry. Boys, I think you owe this nice lady and her son an apology. You could have hurt them."

The little redhead turned his blue-eyed gaze up to Sam. "Sorry my brother and me crashed your cart, Ma'am," he said contritely.

"And we're happy you and your boy didn't get hurt," the other boy added softly. Sam blinked at his British accent; neither of the other two had one.

Then she put aside her curiosity and gave them an understanding smile. "You're forgiven, boys. No harm done. Just remember to watch where you're going next time." She gave them a wink and the red-haired boy giggled while his brother smiled.

"We'll say sorry to your boy now, too," the first boy declared. "What's his name?"

"Daniel," Sam replied, squashing her concern over her ward's potential reaction to two such lively children. That's what bringing him along to the grocery store had been all about, after all - introducing him to the real world.

"I'm Phineas," the redhead said. "This is my brother Ferb." The black-haired boy gave her a small wave.

Sam couldn't help but give a little laugh. "And I'm Sam. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Phineas grinned while Ferb considered her. Then the black-haired child gave a nod. "I like you," he declared, and was promptly dragged away by his brother.

Sam shook her head and gave the two boys' mother a smile. "You must have your hands full."

"You have no idea." The other woman offered her hand. "My name's Linda Flynn-Fletcher, by the way. I wouldn't want to be left out of the introductions."

"Sam Carter," Sam said as she shook the offered appendage. "It really is a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here." Linda looked over at Danny, smiling when she saw her sons trying to engage him in friendly conversation. Well, Phineas was at any rate. "Your son seems like the quiet type," she noted.

"Definitely," Sam agreed, also looking in her ward's direction. She fought back a start of surprise when she saw him shyly smiling at the stream of words spilling out of Phineas' mouth, not that she could make many of them out. Maybe this _had_ been the right call after all. "And your boys seem to balance each other out."

Linda nodded. "That they do. My husband and I agreed soon after they met that they completed each other in a way we mere mortals just weren't meant to understand." She chuckled.

Sam blinked. "After they met? Aren't they fraternal twins?" The blonde called herself up short, mentally berating herself. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry…"

"It's no problem," Linda said with ease, obviously used to the question. "Phineas and my older daughter Candace - she decided to stay home today - were born during my first marriage. And Lawrence had Ferb with his first wife. But after the two of us got married we all just jelled into a family without even trying. It's like this is the way it's always been." Her smile grew soft. "That's how I know I'm exactly where I'm meant to be."

"That's great," Sam said. "But I'll admit I'm still getting used to being a parent. Danny's not actually my son. I took him in a couple of months ago after his father died." She didn't know why, but she felt the need to be honest with this woman she'd just met. Well, as honest as she _could_ be.

"Oh, that's so sad," Linda said with true compassion. "But it's wonderful that you were so willing to take him into your home. What does your husband think of all this?"

Sam shook her head. "I'm not married. Actually, I'm a major in the Air Force. I work at Cheyenne Mountain. That's where I met Danny's father; we worked together there before his accident. Danny's mother died soon after he was born."

Linda's eyes widened in surprise. "You work at the mountain? I always wondered what went on there." She looked at Sam shrewdly. "But I have a feeling you can't tell me."

How in the world had she guessed that? "No, I'm afraid I can't. It's classified."

Linda nodded. "That's what I figured. The couple of other people I've run into that work up there avoided any questions about their jobs, so it wasn't a difficult conclusion to come to. But that's fine; those kinds of things are out there. Is Daniel handling daycare all right?"

"Um, he doesn't go to daycare yet," Sam answered a bit blankly, surprised at the easy acceptance and quick change of subject. "His psychologist doesn't recommend it until he's a little more over his grief."

"Perfectly understandable. Candace was a bit of a handful in that regard for a while after my first husband and I split up. Not exactly the same situation, I know…"

"I understand what you mean," Sam told her with a smile. She found herself really liking this upbeat, understanding woman.

They chit-chatted for a while longer until Sam remembered the frozen food in her cart. She had originally decided to grab some juice on the way to the check-outs. "I'm sorry," she said, the regret in her tone genuine. "I have to get going. Aside from my frozen dinners, I just remembered I have company coming over for supper and I have some things at home to get ready. But it really was a pleasure to meet you, Linda."

Linda smiled. "It was a pleasure for me, too, Sam. Maybe the next time we run into each other it won't be literally."

Sam laughed. "Hopefully." She turned to Danny. "Danny, sweetie, I'm afraid we have to get going. Say goodbye to your new friends."

Danny blinked at her in surprise then gave the other two boys another shy smile. "Goodbye, Phineas. Goodbye, Ferb."

"Bye, Daniel," Phineas said cheerfully. "Maybe next time we can find some fun things to do together." Ferb nodded his agreement with the idea.

"I… I think I'd like that," Danny murmured.

"It'll be lots of fun," Ferb said simply.

Phineas nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, lots. And maybe you can meet our sister Candace."

Linda sighed. "Boys, you have to let Daniel go now. We still have to pick out cereal."

"Cereal! Great!" Phineas enthused. "Bye, Daniel!" He grabbed Ferb and dashed off, the other boy giving one last wave before disappearing from sight.

"I'd better hurry after them," Linda said, shaking her head. "Have fun at your dinner tonight." She turned her cart around and left the aisle. But just before Sam could start moving herself, the redhead stuck her head back around the corner. "Oh, and keep it simple. The blends only confuse the issue if he doesn't like it." And she was off again.

Sam chuckled to herself and shook her head. Linda Flynn-Fletcher and her boys were quite the characters, that was for sure. The blonde grabbed a bottle of grape juice and another of apple juice and moved out.

"So, did you like Phineas and Ferb?" Sam asked once the two of them were on the road back home, their check-out thankfully not taking long.

"They're not like the people at the mountain," Danny said.

"No, they're not," Sam agreed, fighting back the urge to laugh. "Then again, not many people are."

Danny nodded thoughtfully. "They're not like the other kids at the first place I lived."

Sam paused at that observation, not sure how to respond. "I guess they wouldn't be," she said finally, figuring she should say something.

There was another long pause before Danny spoke again. "I like them," he declared quietly. "They were nice."

"I'm glad," Sam said, meaning it with all her heart. It would be wonderful if he could make some friends his own age. Then she sighed to herself. She hadn't exchanged any information with Linda, so she didn't know when Danny would get to see the boys again.

"I like you more, though," Danny quickly reassured her as they pulled into their driveway. "I like you best."

The smile the boy's comment inspired was one that couldn't be suppressed. "Thank you, Danny," Sam said gently, turning around to face him once she stopped the car and turned it off. "I like you best, too. I love you. But it's okay if you like other people. It's good to have friends, to have lots of people to care about and who care about you right back."

Danny frowned in consideration. "Like SG-1?" he asked.

Sam nodded. "Definitely like SG-1. And Janet, Cassie, and Sabrina… even the general and a whole bunch of others at the SGC."

"Doctor MacDonald told me to only trust SG-1," Danny said doubtfully.

"I know he did." Sam took a deep breath to try to give herself time to come up with an appropriate response. Nothing was coming, at least nothing she thought was good enough. "You don't have to trust everyone, especially not right away," she began finally, deciding to wing it. "But you should try to keep an open mind, let people earn your trust."

"What's an open mind?"

"Um, well…" Sam bit her lower lip as she tried to figure out a way to explain. She couldn't help but wish Daniel was there for this one. Words were his specialty. "Keeping an open mind means you don't just think one thought and stick with it. It means you can change what you think."

The look on Danny's face said he wasn't completely sure he understood although he was trying. "Change what you think?" he asked. "Like what?"

Sam's eyes dropped for a moment, still trying to come up with an understandable explanation. "Well, it's like food… I guess. Like raspberries."

Now she'd lost him. Danny's expression became completely bewildered. "Raspberries?"

"When you had raspberries for the first time, you didn't know if you'd like how they taste. You might have really not liked them. But you tried them anyway. That was having an open mind about raspberries." Sam mentally crossed her fingers and hoped this would be good enough. She didn't think she could come up with another one.

"So an open mind is trying something when you don't know if it'll be good?" Danny asked after a long moment of thought.

"Yes!" Sam said with a smile. It was good enough. Danny didn't need the definition to be any more complicated than that, not now. It could wait until he was older… or had a chance to talk with his older counterpart.

Danny returned the smile. "So I should see if I can trust people, not just not trust them."

Sam froze in surprise at the incredible added insight for a moment, then let her smile widen with enormous pride. "That's it exactly, Danny," she said gently, the pride from her expression infusing her tone. "That's it exactly." She gave a soft laugh. "Now we better get this food inside and get supper started."

Danny giggled and nodded. "Okay, Sam."

The two of them got out of the car and did just that.

* * *

The dinner went well enough, even with Jack and Janet avoiding each other for the most part. Only Sabrina knew why they were acting that way aside from the two of them, and since she thought she saw flashes of remorse from the Air Force colonel she decided not to interfere. Instead she offered to help Sam clean up after the meal, inspiring Cassie to take Danny outside to the back deck while the other adults rearranged the living room for some post-supper conversation.

The two kids sat on the top step of the small deck, a light, cool breeze making their hair flutter. After a few moments, Cassie noticed that Danny wasn't very relaxed, his posture stiff as he stared out into the yard. She bit her lower lip.

"Um, I'm sorry if I was a bit pushy in bringing you out here," the teenager said contritely, turning her head slightly to look a little more directly at her companion. "I thought it might be easier for everybody if we were out of the way, and I really liked the idea of spending some time with you. We, uh, we can go back inside if you'd rather."

Danny looked at her wide-eyed, surprised by the concern. He swallowed nervously and chewed at the inside of his cheek for a moment, then gathered his courage to speak. "We can stay here," he said softly.

Cassie smiled at him gratefully. "Good. Thanks." She turned her gaze back up to the sky and simply let her thoughts drift in the more companionable silence. A couple of minutes later, those thoughts grew sad, and the young woman was forced to blink away tears as she swallowed a hard lump in her throat.

Danny heard the sound and twisted his head to look at her once again. He frowned when he saw the gloomy expression she wore and realized she was struggling not to cry. "What… what's wrong?" he asked after a long moment of hesitation.

"Oh!" Cassie exclaimed in surprise, immediately wiping away the welling tears that had yet to fall. "I'm sorry. I was just… I didn't mean… I'll be fine in just a minute."

"But why are you crying?" Danny asked, suddenly concerned for this eager young lady who had accepted him from the first time they met and been nothing but kind. Maybe it was time to try out the advice Sam had given him just a couple hours before. "I don't want you to be sad."

"That's so sweet," Cassie murmured. She sighed. "It's just that, sometimes when things get quiet, I… well… I can't help but wish that my mom and dad could have been here to see all this, to know how good I'm doing. I'm pretty sure they would have been proud." She gave Danny a shaky smile.

"Doctor Fraiser is proud of you," the blond boy said.

Cassie nodded. "I know, and that means more than you can know. But I wish my birth mom and dad could be here, too. Or at least let me know they could see me from wherever they are." She shook her head. "Childish thought, I suppose, but I think it's pretty natural to want your parents near you."

Danny paused and frowned. "What's a parent?" he asked after a long moment, a bit scared the question would make the girl even more sad.

Cassie gazed at him, her eyes widening. "You don't know what a parent is?"

"No." Danny bit his lower lip nervously. "Am I supposed to know?"

"Well, I…" Cassie let her sentence trail off as she thought about the situation. Considering where he came from and how he was raised, maybe it wasn't such a shock that the boy didn't understand the concept of parents. But he seemed to know about a mom and a dad… "Um, do you know what a mom and a dad are?" she asked hesitantly, unsure if she should really take on this conversation, but equally unsure of how she would get herself out of it otherwise.

"It's a special title for people who are in charge of other people who are younger." The statement was just as much a question as it was an answer.

Cassie blew out a small breath to cover her mental scramble to come up with a good response. "In a way… I guess…" The young lady sighed and started over. "Mom and dad are another way of saying mother and father, the words we use in English for parents." She waited for Danny's slow nod of understanding before continuing. "Parents are two people, usually a man and a woman, who come together and create a child, the woman giving birth to a baby. If they're good parents, they raise the child, teach him or her the things he or she needs to know, and love him or her."

Danny considered the new information. "So parents create babies?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cassie said.

"You had parents on Hanka, but you call Doctor Fraiser 'mom'," Danny pointed out, a look of confusion beginning to form on his face.

Cassie paused, surprised at how quickly the boy had connected those dots. "Well, yeah, that's true," she answered finally. "But sometimes, if the parents who created you can't or won't take care of you, another person steps in and does it. So, when my parents died, Janet took me in and adopted me. She became my new mother."

Danny's frown grew a little deeper. "So you can be a parent even if you don't create a baby?"

Cassie swallowed nervously. How did she get involved in this conversation again? "That's right. And I got lucky that Janet was willing to do it. She's loved me like she did… create me, and raised me just as well as my original parents."

"Do you love Doctor Fraiser like a mom?"

"Yes," Cassie replied immediately, smiling fondly. "It wasn't right away or anything, but I grew to love her. And when I realized that, I called her mom for the first time."

"You didn't call her mom right away?" Danny asked, shocked.

Cassie nodded. "That's right. I was grateful she took me in, of course, but I needed to get to know her and get used to the situation. On top of that I was disappointed that Sam couldn't adopt me. Janet told me from the beginning that I didn't have to call her mom until I was ready, if I ever was. It was one of the things that convinced me that she wasn't trying to replace my original mom, and let me start to love her on my own."

Danny's gaze dropped, the child trying to work everything out. "So you called Doctor Fraiser mom when you figured out you loved her," he said eventually.

"That's right," Cassie agreed softly.

"And that's when you knew you wanted her to be your mom," Danny guessed.

"Well… yeah, I guess," Cassie said, thinking about it for the first time. The kid was good.

Danny chewed on the inside of his cheek for a long moment. "But how did you know you loved her?" he finally asked quietly, still not raising his eyes from his feet.

Cassie watched the young boy for a moment, a suspicion growing that she wasn't ready to verbalize quite yet. "Love feels different for everyone," she began. "But I think you just know when you love someone. I know the idea of love is one you're not used to, but you'll get the hang of it. You already know Sam loves you, and I can tell you the rest of us do, too. You're part of this big, weird family. You'll figure out how you feel about us sooner or later."

Danny finally looked up and earnestly met the young lady's gaze. "I hope so," he whispered.

"Hey, you two," Sam said as she stuck her head out the back door. "We've got everything cleaned up and organized, so you can come back in if you want. It's kind of chilly out here." She smiled.

"That sounds good," Cassie said, sharing one last warm look with Danny. She helped him to his feet once she pushed herself to her own, then went inside, Danny right behind her.

* * *

The next day about mid-morning Sam was once again immersed in the project she had shut down early, and Danny was working on his Greek language program on her laptop, when Jack came sauntering into her lab, a stack of papers tucked under his arm. "Hey, Carter," he greeted her as he came to a stop beside her work table. "You too, kiddo," he added when Danny looked up from his monitor.

"Hello, sir," Sam replied with a small smile, then saved the calculations she was in the middle of. "Thanks again for coming over last night," she said once she was finished. "It was a good time."

"It was," Jack agreed, covering up an uncomfortable flinch. "I'll have to put together a barbecue at my place one of these days, get the grill fired up."

"Sounds like fun, sir. I'm sure Danny and I would both enjoy it."

Jack nodded his agreement and took a deep breath. "Well, it won't be for a while. I talked with Hammond earlier, and we both decided SG-1 should get back out into the field. We're scheduled to go to P3C-716 on Thursday." He handed his 2IC a folder. "Here's the preliminary information we got from the MALP."

Sam blinked as she took the folder and did a cursory exam of the contents. "Two days?" she asked.

"Yep. That won't be a problem, will it?" Jack asked, glancing over at the little boy sitting across the table. Danny was listening intently, his language lesson ignored.

"It shouldn't be," Sam replied, also glancing at her ward. She relaxed a bit when she saw that he didn't seem distressed by the news. "I'll talk with Janet about arrangements. When is the initial briefing scheduled?"

"Tomorrow morning, 0900. That should give you, Daniel, and Jonas time to put together any summary reports."

Sam nodded. "That should be more than enough time. I'll get right on it, sir."

Jack grinned. "I knew you'd say that. Now I suppose I should get the rest of these folders to the others. Meet you two in the commissary around noon for lunch?"

Sam returned the smile. "Sounds good, sir. We'll be there." She looked at Danny, who nodded with a shy smile of his own.

"Then I'm off. Later, Carter. Later, Squirt." Jack sauntered out as loosely as he'd entered.

"I guess it's time I got back to work," Sam said to Danny once her team leader was gone.

"I guess so," Danny agreed, his smile not fading.

Sam considered the child. "Are you going to be okay with that? Staying with Janet while I go off-world?"

Danny nodded. "I'll be okay. SG-1 still has to find a way to stop Anubis, right?"

"Yeah," Sam said with a sigh, doing her best to keep her expression bright. They hadn't heard a lot about the half-ascended goa'uld lately, but everyone was sure he was still plotting and scheming - and would make his next appearance in a surprising and horrifying way. The blonde astrophysicist wasn't looking forward to it. "Well, I'm going to go through this folder, then. Are you finished with your language lesson?"

"No," Danny admitted, immediately flinching and looking incredibly guilty.

"I guess I can't blame you," Sam said with a laugh in an attempt to assuage some of the boy's guilt. "Colonel O'Neill always distracts me when he comes in here unannounced. Just go ahead and finish your lesson, and then we can set you up with your art supplies."

Danny relaxed somewhat, realizing he wasn't in trouble for neglecting his lessons. "Okay, Sam." He returned his attention to the laptop.

The rest of the morning went smoothly, as did lunch with the rest of SG-1. Soon after, Sam put Danny down for his nap then headed to Janet's office to iron out the details of watching the little boy while SG-1 was on their mission at the end of the week. She really hoped this wouldn't inconvenience her friend too much.

After pausing for a brief conversation with Sergeant Siler who had once again been injured in the line of base maintenance, Sam knocked on Janet's office door, going in when she was bid entrance. "Hey, Janet," she greeted the physician with a smile.

"Oh, hi, Sam," Janet replied, returning the expression. "What can I do for you?"

"I don't know if you've talked with Colonel O'Neill," Sam missed a beat when she saw a shadow of anger flicker across the other woman's face for a moment, "um, but it looks like SG-1 has been scheduled for a mission this Thursday and Friday. Would you be able to watch Danny for me?"

"A new mission, huh?" a new voice from the still-open doorway said curiously.

The two women shifted their attention to the newcomer and saw Jon O'Neill standing there with a half-smile and a handful of papers. "I take it you finished filling out everything I gave you yesterday," Janet commented, her eyebrows rising.

Jon nodded. "Wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be, actually. I just got back from going over everything with the general, and he's agreed to set everything up for us. Apparently the Air Force was planning on giving me a stipend to use for living expenses, so I'll be able to pay you rent and help out with groceries and other bills."

Janet smiled. "That's fine, Jon. I can recruit Cassie and use tonight and tomorrow night to clear out the spare room for you. Then you can make the move anytime you'd like."

"Wait a minute," Sam interrupted, looking back and forth between the doctor and teenager. "Jack is…"

"Jon," the teenager immediately corrected her. "I've decided to keep the name Jonathan O'Neill and go by Jon. And yes, I'm moving in with the doc here. Apparently relatively quickly." He smiled to take the sting out the ironic tone he'd used.

Janet gave a short laugh. "Well, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can start school." She looked at Sam. "And I asked him yesterday when I gave him the information Cassie's principal emailed me. I didn't think he should have to live alone."

Sam blinked for a moment then slowly nodded. "Okay, that makes sense." She smiled at Jon. "I'm glad you won't have to go this alone, Jon."

Jon looked a little surprised. "You're okay with this?"

"Of course. Besides, it's not my choice. This is between you and Janet."

"Thanks, Carter."

Sam's smile grew impish. "Don't you think you should call me Sam? You're not my superior officer anymore."

The teenager let out a short bark of laughter. "Sure, throw that in my face." He chuckled and shook his head. "I'll do my best, Sam, but I don't guarantee I'll always get it right."

"Fair enough."

"So what's this about a mission, Sam?" Janet asked as Jon walked further into the room and leaned up against the side of her desk. "On Thursday and Friday you said?"

"Yeah, to P3C-716," Sam confirmed. "I've been looking over the preliminary information this morning and it looks like a relatively easy run. Uninhabited, a few ruins, and a few possible signs of technology. I'm guessing the colonel picked this one to ease Daniel back into the field and to get us all used to working as a five-man team."

Jon nodded. "That's definitely it," he said confidently. "Not to mention getting back his own equilibrium after our last little adventure."

The two women stared at him. "I suppose you _would_ know, wouldn't you?" Sam murmured.

The young man's eyebrows rose. "Don't expect me to talk every time, but you'd already guessed. It's not like I was giving anything away."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Janet said softly. Her eyes dropped down to the top of her desk momentarily, and so she missed the others sharing a glance as they noticed the note of disappointment in her tone. "Anyway," she continued as she brought her head back up, "I'll have to have him stay here in my office, but I'd be happy to watch Danny. He can warm up the spare room bed for Jon."

"Uh, wait a minute," Jon said, raising his right hand with his index finger extended. "Why should you trap the kid in your office when I'm still staying here on base? I'll watch Danny, and we'll stay out of your way in case an emergency comes up. Even if he's in your office, I bet that kind of chaos would kind of freak him out." He dropped his arm back to his side and blinked. "I know it would freak the hell out of _me_."

Janet and Sam shared a stunned look, neither one of them having considered that possibility. "Actually, that would be perfect," Janet said. "He's right; this place is completely chaotic when emergencies come up, and I'd hate for Danny to be in the middle of it. On top of that, I wouldn't be able to give him much attention while he'd be trapped in here to keep him from accidentally ending up underfoot."

Sam sighed. "We really didn't think this out when we arranged for you to watch him in the first place, did we?" she asked dejectedly.

"That doesn't matter anymore," Jon said dismissively, rolling his eyes. "I'm here now. I have absolutely no problem watching over Danny any time you need it, Sam. Even in the future. I have no problem skipping school."

"That won't go over well," Janet said.

"Not to mention it might not be necessary," Sam added. "The idea is that we get Danny ready to start going to daycare when I come to work. Then Janet can just pick him up after her shifts when I'm off-world."

Jon waved all that off. "Yeah, but you don't know when the squirt's going to be ready for that. I don't think Sabrina even has a timeline for that. In the meantime, I'm available. Danny shouldn't be trapped under the mountain all the time anyway. Once I'm set up at Janet's, he can stay with me there."

Sam looked at the teenager carefully. She could hear how sincere he was about the offer. In fact, it seemed pretty important to him that she agree to the arrangement. Apparently a connection had formed between the two clones as strong as the one between the originals, at least on Jon's side. The astrophysicist finally smiled and nodded. "All right, Jon," she said. "We'll do it your way. For now. But I have a feeling you're going to be stuck in the mountain Thursday and Friday."

"The spare room won't be ready until Thursday night at the earliest," Janet agreed. "You can both come home with me then. And maybe we'll leave a little early. I think you're going to need some clothes."

"Oh, man, not shopping!" Jon moaned, letting his head flop backward. He brought it back to its original position almost immediately. "At least tell me Cassie won't be coming along," he pleaded.

Janet and Sam laughed at the horrified expression the young man wore. "It would probably be best if she just stayed home with Danny," Sam told him. "He wouldn't be comfortable spending that much time in a public place, especially without me. He had a hard enough time in the grocery store yesterday."

Jon and Janet instantly became more serious. "Did he do okay?" Jon asked, concerned.

"He seemed all right at dinner," Janet added, equally troubled.

"He's fine," Sam reassured them. "In fact, he did better than I thought he would." She told them about their run-in with Linda and her two boys. "Danny told me on the way home that he liked them," she concluded. "I really think he's going to be okay with some more time. I really do."

"Sounds like it," Janet said, smiling softly.

Jon nodded. "He's a strong kid, we have to remember that. Look at the source material."

Sam grinned. "I thought the same thing last night."

"Well, looks like everything's settled then," Jon said in a tone of satisfaction. He pushed himself up to his full height. "The doc can talk to Hammond and turn in my school paperwork, I can do a little online home-schooling to start getting ready for the big high school plunge, and Carter here can get herself prepped for the next big mission. I'd say things are going quite well, wouldn't you?" He gazed expectantly at the other two.

"Yes, Jon," Sam replied, also rising to her feet. "Things are definitely going well. But let's not push our luck too much by going on about it."

"You should know better than that," Janet added, smirking.

Jon blinked. "You're right, I should." He pointed at the exit. "I think I'll just go before I jinx things." He turned and did just that.

Sam and Janet shared a look and a laugh as the teenager disappeared from sight. "Are you really okay with him watching Danny?" Janet asked with a twinkle in her eyes. "Think of the influence…"

"Oh, Danny will be fine. It's his influence on Jon that should be interesting to see." Sam let her smile turn wicked for a moment, then laughed again. "I'm going to get a little more research done before Danny's nap is over. I'll talk to you later." She gave Janet a friendly nod then left. Janet just watched her go with a wide smile and returned to her paperwork.


	23. Chapter 23

_First things first: I totally apologize for it taking me so long to update this story. My muse has had other things on her mind, unfortunately, and real life hasn't been the smoothest ride. However, I have a renewed focus for the time being, and I plan on taking full advantage of it. Thank you so much to all of you who have stuck with me! And trust me when I say that I *will* finish this! Enjoy the newest chapter, and feel free to let me know what you think!_

* * *

The mission to P3C-716 went as well as everyone had hoped, Daniel's transition as well as the adjustment to a five-man team going very smoothly. They'd even managed to bring back some interesting soil samples and a box that gave off unique energy signatures and was covered in an ancient script that Daniel in particular couldn't wait to work on translating. Add to that Danny telling Sam he'd had fun with Jon while she'd been gone although he'd still missed her very much - the teenager hadn't been able to move into Janet's place due to a medical emergency that had come up on base and Cassie's social schedule keeping them from even starting to clear out the spare room - and the weekend arrived on quite a high note.

Jack came through on his idea to have a barbecue, even having Sam drag Sabrina along after Danny's delayed weekly session. What Sam found weird was that the colonel had her get a hold of Janet to have her and Cassie join the party, claiming he'd tried once and didn't get an answer, and now had to finish getting the ribs prepped. She'd have to see if she could figure out what was going on.

It was a weird get-together. Jack and Janet avoided each other the entire time while doing their very best not to make it look like they were doing just that. Cassie pulled out the bocce ball set from Jack's garage and made people play, then only half-heartedly joined in herself. Teal'c tended to gaze around at everyone with an odd look in his eyes that no one had seen there before and couldn't really identify when the Jaffa didn't think anyone was watching. Sabrina was going through bouts of growing irritation when her cell phone would ring and she would silence it swiftly after checking the caller ID. Jonas was in an incredibly "up" mood and had been since the team had gotten back from their latest mission. And Daniel stood leaning against one of the rails of the colonel's deck staring - sometimes at the bocce players, sometimes not - with a deep, thoughtful look on his face and was, in general, quieter than normal.

From what Sam could see, the only one acting completely in character was Danny.

Sam sighed during a bathroom break in the game and continued to watch her friends acting strangely. Cassie, it seemed, was coming out of her funk, picking up Danny and running around the yard with him and away from Jonas, the self-appointed tickle monster. Teal'c stood and watched their antics with muted amusement. Janet and Sabrina were inside, and Jack was now on the deck checking the grill… and Daniel, not that he ever would have admitted it. The blonde astrophysicist moved from the deck to lean against the back corner of the house to avoid the potential argument between the two men; Daniel still didn't care for Jack's mother hen routine when the issue was mental or emotional, and whatever was bothering the archaeologist had all the earmarks of fitting into one or both of those two categories.

With another sigh, Sam leaned her head against the building behind her just as she heard an electronic beep from around the corner.

"Marconi," she heard Sabrina say, apparently into her cell phone. "What can I do for you, Colonel?" There was a brief pause. "Lau? What the hell are you doing?"

Sam was surprised at the complete change of tone from curious and respectful to outraged and angry. It was that surprise that kept her firmly in place when she would have normally slipped away quietly.

"You know full well that today was my day with my patient, and that means _all day_. That would be why I was ignoring your calls. And what you just told me could have easily waited until tomorrow - and _should_ have! It's not like I'm going to do anything about it until then, anyway."

Sam blinked at the intense ferocity during another brief pause.

"Lau, I'm hanging up now. I will not be answering any other calls from you. And if you _dare_ to call me from the colonel's phone again, you had better hope you're not the first person I run into when I get back to the compound! Goodbye!" There was another beep and the sound of a flip phone being snapped shut.

Just as Sam was thinking about shifting away so she wouldn't be caught eavesdropping, Sabrina came walking around the corner of the house struggling to appear calm. "Um, hi," the major said when the other woman came to a stop just before plowing into her.

Sabrina sighed and let her eyes shut. "You heard, didn't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Sam swallowed nervously and nodded. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I guess I got startled by how angry you sounded that I just…"

The psychologist waved off the explanation. "Don't worry about it; you didn't hear anything you shouldn't have. And I would have been curious about it, too."

"That doesn't excuse what I did. I know better."

"But I still forgive you, and would really rather let it go," Sabrina said simply.

Sam released a short breath and nodded. "So, who's Lau?" she asked hesitantly.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "An idiot who also happens to be my field team leader. He hates the fact that my special assignment means I'm not always actively a part of team activities. And he seems to have gotten the idea that no one else can do my job in my absence."

Sam smiled. "It's good to be needed."

"This isn't need, it's want," the black-haired woman refuted. "But apparently something big has come up. I'll be heading back to Boulder tomorrow morning." She paused and looked at Sam. "I don't know how big this is going to end up being; it has to be huge to call me in like this considering the situation. I mean, I'm officially on loan to the SGC for the duration except for emergencies. I may not be able to get back in time for next week's session with Danny."

"And how many times have I had to reschedule?" Sam asked in return. She smiled in understanding. "We'll be all right. You just do what you need to do." The smile grew a bit wider. "I can't blame the CIA for wanting one of their best agents for something important."

"Oh, please," Sabrina said with another roll of her eyes, a smile of her own forming. "I'm good, but I'm not irreplaceable. They've been fine so far."

Sam's expression softened. "But I doubt anything your team has been involved with has been all that big up to this point. You're just going to have to accept that your team values you and the talents you bring, and doesn't want to go without."

Sabrina just looked at her for a long moment, then her gaze turned gentle and her expression grateful and slightly embarrassed. "I'm glad you think that way about me, Sam. It means more than I can say."

Sam simply nodded, her smile never fading, then took a deep breath and leaned back against the side of the house. She noticed that Janet had come back outside and Jonas was apparently taking his turn in the bathroom. "Can I ask you something?" she asked the psychologist who took up a similar pose right next to her.

"Silly question," Sabrina responded.

"Have you noticed anything… off about everybody today?" Sam summarized what she'd noticed earlier. "Cassie seems to be getting better, but everyone else is just acting strange," she concluded.

"Hmm," Sabrina mused, her brows coming together in thought. She looked around the yard and saw what her companion was talking about. "Well, I have to admit to knowing what's going on between Jack and Janet, but it's not my place to say. It's something they're going to have to work out for themselves."

Sam nodded. "As long as there's a reason."

Sabrina chuckled. "And Teal'c, well, I don't think I can even guess with him. I haven't really had a lot of conversations with him, so I can't read him all that well. Add to that a great stoic mask, and…" She shrugged.

"Yeah, it took me a while to be able to read him," Sam commiserated. "His tells are really subtle, but once you can recognize them they're pretty clear."

"I hope I can get to that point," Sabrina murmured with a tiny smile, then returned her attention to the rest of the yard. "Anyway, considering you told me your mission went very well, I'm guessing Jonas is just feeling very good about his place here. He'll calm down in a few days, I'm sure."

"I didn't think about that," Sam said, blinking in slight surprise. "With everything that happened with Jon and the colonel, I forgot about how much trouble Jonas was having adjusting to Daniel coming back. You're sure he's okay?"

Sabrina nodded. "He'll be fine. He just had to work out a few things with himself and with Daniel."

Sam smiled with relief. "I'm glad to hear it."

The psychologist gestured at Daniel who was still leaning against the railing of the deck but was now facing Jack who stood at the grill. They were apparently having a conversation of the usual half bickering, half trying to figure out each other's issues kind by the expression on the older man's face and the tenseness in the archaeologist's shoulders. "Now Daniel I can't say for a totally different reason," Sabrina said, gazing at the squabbling pair speculatively. "He's definitely thinking about something, very deeply in fact, but I have no idea what it is. He seems to have most of his memories back and is adjusting well to them from everything I've seen. I just haven't gotten any clues from the conversations I've had with him recently."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too, and I don't have any better idea than you about what's on his mind," Sam said, frowning a bit. "I think maybe I'll try to get him alone later and see if he'll talk to me about it."

"That sounds like a good plan," Sabrina said with approval in her tone. "And if Cassie's earlier attitude is still bothering you, that's what I'd suggest for her, too. You've got a good relationship with her; if she's willing to share, I'm sure you'd be one of the ones she'll do it with."

"You know, I'm willing to listen to you, too," Sam offered, glancing at the friend at her side. "If this thing with your team is bothering you…"

Sabrina turned to face the blonde woman fully and gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, but I'm fine. I always knew I could get called back temporarily for something important, and that's what this sounds like it is. What really bugged me was that Lau refused to wait until tomorrow to get a hold of me, even knowing I wouldn't leave here until then. He hates the fact that I'm not there with the team, like I'm going to get myself into all this trouble if he's not around to run the show." She gave a brief laugh and shook her head. "It's his protective instinct combined with his need-to-be-in-control streak in action."

Sam smirked. "I can think of someone else that has that combination going for him in spades," she said with a subtle gesture toward the deck to their left. "And I'm not talking about the guy with the glasses."

"Yeah, that's a pretty accurate diagnosis," Sabrina said matter-of-factly.

Just then, Jonas returned from inside, and Cassie loudly announced that it was time to get back to the game. Sam and Sabrina shared a warm look and went back to the party, each of them hoping their friends' issues would be resolved soon.

* * *

The next three days went without incident, and Wednesday came along before anyone knew it. Sam and Danny had breakfast together before the boy and his plush ape were taken to Jon's quarters so the Air Force major could get ready for SG-1's next mission. The young man was hoping to move out of the mountain that weekend, but that would be after SG-1 was supposed to get back so it wouldn't be an issue in regards to Danny.

It was just after noon and Jon and Danny had just finished lunch when the announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation had the teenager's instincts kicking in and the young man himself running for the control room, Danny right behind him out of confusion and a little bit of curiosity. Jon drew himself up short before dashing up the back stairs, suddenly realizing what he was doing, and then conceding to himself that his height combined with the usual crowd of technicians wouldn't allow for a good view of whatever was going on in the gate room anyway. He didn't notice Danny just as silently joining him, the little boy's eyes darting around the hallway while flinching at the sounds of gunfire and explosions that came from the control room speakers not that far away.

It was only a few moments before Jack O'Neill's voice came through over the sounds of violence. "Teal'c! Let's go! Base, this is it! We're on our way!"

"Open the iris," General Hammond ordered.

The two boys heard the protective shield slide away to be quickly followed by the explosions of staff weapon blasts hitting the control room window. Both children jumped, then released quiet breaths of relief as the loud clattering of hurried footsteps on the metal ramp reached them.

"Teal'c's right behind us!" Sam shouted.

There were a few beats where there were no sounds but those of discharging staff weapons, and then a single set of running footsteps clanged down the ramp, quickly followed by automatic gun fire. Then the gate shut down, more clomps could be heard on the ramp, and Hammond called out, "Clear!"

Jon practically held his breath for the next few quiet moments, then gritted his teeth almost painfully when the general's voice called for the medical team to enter the gate room. At least one person had gotten hurt in the short skirmish; he could only hope it was no one from his team. The teenager pulled his thoughts up short at that. SG-1 wasn't his team any more. But they _were_ his friends, and that validated his concern.

"Teal'c?" Janet's voice called out.

Jon froze. Teal'c had been hit?

"Not getting a pulse," one of the male nurses announced.

"Start CPR. Give me one milligram epi."

The rest of Janet's orders faded away to background noise as Jon's concern became full blown terror. Teal'c's heart wasn't beating. He'd been injured severely enough to require CPR.

Teal'c could die.

Jon took an involuntary step backward at the thought and nearly tripped over the little boy behind him. "Danny?" he blurted in surprise, then paused as he took in the wide eyes and pale complexion of the small child.

Crap. Danny was hearing all the same things he was, and probably was confused about what it all meant beyond the fact that the doctor was working. Jon knelt down to look the tiny blond in the eye. "Danny, are you all right?" he asked gently.

Danny nodded, focusing all his attention on the teenager. "What is Doctor Fraiser doing to Teal'c?" he asked in a whisper.

"It sounds like Teal'c got hurt by one of the staff weapon blasts we heard, and Doctor Fraiser is helping him," Jon explained.

"She's trying to make him feel better?" Danny asked.

"Something like that," Jon said, reluctant to admit how hurt Teal'c had to be.

Danny considered things for a moment. "Will Teal'c be okay?"

Jon sighed. "I sure hope so, kiddo. If there's any chance at all, Doc Fraiser will find it, you can be sure of that."

"Okay," Danny whispered.

"We should get back to my room, make sure we stay out of everyone's way," Jon said, rising to his full height and offering his hand to the younger boy. He smiled reassuringly when the offer was accepted. "We'll find out everything later when everyone comes to see us, I just know it." He began to lead Danny down the hall back to the elevator.

They were forced to pause when Janet and her team rushed into the open car, still working determinedly on the still form of the injured Jaffa. Jon kept himself and Danny out of sight, flinching when he looked down at his small charge and saw his eyes get wide once again at the blood that could be seen around the edges of the wound. Oh, he was going to be kicking himself for this little maneuver for a long time to come. How could he not have realized Danny was with him? For that matter, what had he been thinking when he ran down here in the first place? Yeah, it had been instinct, but he was supposed to be able to control that. Especially when he was in charge of a little boy who really, really didn't need to see this.

Jon was about to kneel down and soothe the other boy's fear once again when a shadow fell over them. "What in the hell are you two doing here?" a familiar voice said quietly.

The teenager turned his head and thought that there was probably going to be an interesting new definition of kicking himself in his future, at least if the look in Colonel Jack O'Neill's eyes was anything to go by. He swallowed nervously, but before he could even think of anything to say, Sam darted around him and scooped up Danny.

"Oh my God, Danny," she gasped into the little boy's hair. "Are you okay? What did you see?" She didn't even bother to spare a glance for Jon.

"I saw Doctor Fraiser take Teal'c into the elevator," Danny's muffled voice replied, his arms tightening around her neck. "Are you okay?" he asked shakily.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, sweetie," Sam reassured her ward, her eyes falling shut as she rocked him back and forth gently. "The rest of us are fine."

Jack cleared his throat. "You didn't answer my question," he said darkly. Daniel and Jonas stood behind him, watching a bit warily. It was obvious they wanted to know the answer to that question themselves, though.

Between the guilt trip he was already packing for and the fear he was feeling for Teal'c, Jon felt something rise up inside at the attempt at intimidation from basically himself. "I don't owe you any kind of explanation," he snarled, his eyes narrowed. He turned to Sam before the flash of rage that started to burn brightly in his adult self's gaze could manifest itself. "I'm sorry, Sam," he said to the woman who focused her attention on him in surprise at his tone. "The klaxons went off and I heard the announcement of the unscheduled off-world activation and just took off on instinct. I wasn't thinking, and Danny just followed me. I didn't even realize he had until after the doc was working on Teal'c. He didn't see anything!" Jon said quickly at the horrified expression that transformed Sam's features at his words. "We were in the hallway by the back stairs of the control room. We could only hear what happened. I was trying to take him back to my room and out of the way when Fraiser's medical team came hurrying through, and then you were here." He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I promise this will never happen again if we're on base when I'm watching him. I _promise_."

Sam stared at him for a long, silent moment, her expression the most serious Jon could remember, and then she blew out a small, controlled breath. "It will never happen again," she said firmly. "Or I will never trust you with Danny again." There was a thread of steel in her tone.

"Never again," Jon repeated, flinching unconsciously at the justifiable threat.

"Okay, Danny," Sam said to the child in her arms, her voice suddenly soft and gentle. "I need you to go with Jon to his room so the rest of us can check on Teal'c and get our own post-mission physicals. Will you be all right?"

Danny hesitated then nodded. "Will you come to see me when you're done?" he asked meekly. He'd never heard Sam speak the way she had to Jon before, and only the fact that she hadn't been aiming those words and that tone at him kept him from shying away from her.

Sam smiled. "I'll try," she told him. "If I can I probably won't be able to stay long because we're going to have to tell General Hammond about what happened. But if we don't have to go straight to the debriefing I'll come see you as soon as I get out of the infirmary."

Danny relaxed somewhat and managed to return Sam's expression. "I'm glad," he said simply, then sighed as the blonde major hugged him again.

Sam placed him back on his feet and ran a hand over his hair, suddenly thinking he was probably going to need a haircut soon. "I'll see you soon, then," she said, shoving the random thought aside. She looked at her teammates. "I think we should get going."

"Right," Daniel said when he realized Jack was too busy glaring daggers at his clone to answer for himself. He gestured Jonas ahead and looked at the silver-haired colonel. "Jack? We can worry about this later, although I think Sam handled it just fine on her own. We need to get to the infirmary and check on Teal'c."

"Daniel's right, Colonel," Jonas added from where he had just pushed the call button for the elevator car. "And they might even have some news for us."

It was only when the doors opened that Jack tore his vicious glare away from his younger counterpart. "Let's get out of here," he said quietly before stalking to the back of the elevator car. He pointedly ignored the two kids who entered after the rest of his team, relaxing a fraction when they exited on the floor of Jon's VIP suite. "I can't believe you're letting him off the hook, Carter," he said darkly once the car was on the move again.

Sam glanced at her superior officer. "He didn't do it on purpose, sir," she replied quietly. "And I trust that he won't do it again."

Jack's eyebrows rose. "You trust him?"

"He may be trying to become a different person now, but he still has your memories as his core," Sam explained. "And I would trust _you_ to keep _your_ word in that situation."

"I never would have _been_ in that situation," Jack refuted.

"You can't say that," Daniel said as the elevator doors opened at their destination. "Besides, even if it wouldn't have been that exact situation, the point is still valid. If you made a mistake with Danny and promised Sam it would never happen again, she would trust that you'd keep your word. _That's_ what Sam is saying here."

Jack waved off the distinction as he strode purposefully out of the car and down the hallway. "I think we should just worry about what's going on with Teal'c," he said as the others followed him. "That's what's most important right now."

Daniel shared a look with Jonas and Sam that spoke of his exasperation with Jack, then shook his head and entered the infirmary right behind the older man. From there, the focus for all four of them switched entirely to their injured teammate. They could only hope and pray that he would be all right.

* * *

Around four o'clock that afternoon, Sam finally made her way to Jon's room a bit tired and a little worse for wear. "Hey, guys," she greeted the two boys with a small smile once she'd been bid enter.

Danny smiled back. "Hi, Sam," he said softly, putting down the book he'd been reading.

Jon tossed aside his comic book. "Hey, Carter. I take it you guys went through your debriefing."

"That's where I came from," Sam confirmed. She stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. "And now I think we all need to have a little chat."

"About what?" Danny asked as Jon's expression became guilt-ridden once again.

Sam sat down next to the little boy on the bed. "What happened earlier." She looked at him and smiled gently. "First, I want you to know that Teal'c is going to be fine. Janet came into the debriefing and let us all know. It's going to take him longer to heal than he's used to, but he'll still get there faster than the rest of us would in his place." She paused as Danny smiled and Jon blew out a quiet breath of relief. "Now," she continued, "did anything you saw or heard scare or bother you?"

Danny's smile faded and his eyes dropped to his lap for a moment. "It was really loud," he murmured as he brought his gaze back up. "And at first I was scared you were hurt. Then I heard you yell about Teal'c and you didn't sound hurt, but all the noise was still there. Then it all stopped, and I heard the general, and then I heard Doctor Fraiser, and she sounded all worried about Teal'c, and I didn't know what was going on. Then Jon told me she was trying to help Teal'c and that we should go back to his room so we wouldn't get in the way. And when we got to the elevator, Doctor Fraiser and Teal'c were there going in so we couldn't, and you and Jack and Daniel and Jonas were there and saw us."

The rambling explanation was reassuring in a couple of ways. First, the fact that Danny was so willing to talk about what had happened spoke to a limited amount of trauma that would likely be easily recovered from. She'd have to double check with Sabrina when she saw the psychologist next, although by that time she'd most likely know for sure if she watched the boy closely enough. Second, Danny was willing to talk _at_ _length_ about what had happened. That fact spoke for itself, considering Danny's usual lack of wordiness. Sam smiled slightly.

"Was there anything else?" she asked.

"Well…" Danny's gaze dropped again. "When Doctor Fraiser went in the elevator with Teal'c, I saw blood on his stomach, and he didn't do anything when she pushed down hard on it. And it had to hurt. That kind of scared me, even though Jon told me Doctor Fraiser would be able to save Teal'c if she could. And I was still scared you were hurt until I saw you and you hugged me."

"I can understand that," Sam said soothingly, putting an arm around the boy's shoulders. She couldn't resist placing a gentle kiss into his soft blond hair. "Does knowing Teal'c is going to be okay help you feel better about what you saw?"

Danny considered it. "I think so. I still remember being scared, but now I know that he's okay so it'll be okay."

Sam squeezed his shoulders. "I'm glad. But if you ever want to talk about it, I'll always be willing to listen." She smiled when she got a small smile in response, then turned her attention to the nervous-looking teenager standing off to the side from where she was sitting. "And now for you," she said seriously, her expression growing serious.

"I meant it when I said I was sorry and that I wouldn't let it happen again, Sam," Jon said quickly.

"I don't doubt that, to be honest," Sam replied, "but I think I need to tell you just what I was feeling when I saw the two of you near the elevators. I panicked, Jon. I had no idea where you'd been and what you'd seen. We'd just come in _hot_ and had a firefight in the gate room. For all I knew you'd slipped inside and gotten injured. And that's not taking into account what happened with Teal'c. I just couldn't believe you would have Danny so close to that kind of danger. I mean, what would have happened if more than one Jaffa had gotten through before they closed the iris? What if they'd gotten out of the gate room?"

Jon winced. "I've gone over all of that since we got back here. I was an idiot. All I can tell you is that we'd just left the commissary when the klaxons went off and the announcement came over the PA that there was an unscheduled off-world activation. My instincts…" He sighed and shook his head. "_Jack O'Neill's_ instincts kicked in and I took off for the control room. I didn't even think about Danny, who followed me without having a clue about where I was going or what I was doing. And I had no idea he had. I didn't know he was there until I practically tripped over him when I tried to back away from what I could hear going on with Fraiser and Teal'c."

Sam stared at him for a long, silent moment. "I'm going to trust that you'll control those instincts from now on, Jon. I know it has to bother you that you accidentally took Danny into a dangerous situation, so I know you'll do whatever it takes to keep it from happening again. You have to, because I don't think I could take losing him." She hugged Danny again without looking away from Jon, then gave the young man a half-smile. "And I don't want to lose you, either, just so you're clear on that.

"Thanks, Sam," Jon whispered, truly touched by both her last statement and her forgiveness.

"Don't worry about it," Sam said warmly, then took a deep breath and released it. "So I bet you want to hear about how we got into the firefight that sent us running through the gate," she said, deliberately changing the subject.

Jon's eyebrows rose. "Was there any doubt?" he asked with slightly forced lightness.

Sam smiled in return. "Well, things were pretty uneventful until we'd been in the temple for a while," she began, jumping straight into the story knowing the teenager was already aware of the goal of the mission. "Daniel and Jonas had just finished videotaping the writing on the walls of the main chamber when the Jaffa showed up. We managed to hide before we were spotted, although we could hear that they knew someone was there. That's when the colonel snuck out and planted my radio in the underbrush away from our position. He began broadcasting to create a distraction, and about half of the Jaffa left the temple. That was enough for us to be able to slip out ourselves, but it wasn't long before they were hot on our trail, firing at us the whole way. Jonas got ahead of us and dialed Earth while the rest of us covered him and tried to slow the Jaffa down, Colonel O'Neill radioed in that we were coming in hot while Teal'c did his best to keep them back just that little while longer, and I think you know the rest." She shrugged and looked down to give a wide-eyed Danny a reassuring smile that was returned after a moment of blinking.

"So whose Jaffa were they?" Jon asked curiously.

"Amaterasu," Sam answered. "We think that she's getting bold and taking advantage of the prestige defeating Anubis has given her."

"That makes sense," Jon said, nodding.

Sam sighed. "We're not sure what that means about the current balance of power amongst the System Lords, but the general is sending a message to the Tok'ra to hopefully find out their take on everything."

Jon scowled. "Yeah, like we're going to get any information of value from _that_ quarter," he grumbled.

Sam shot him a look. "They may not always be the most forthcoming, but they are our allies," she reminded him. "And if my dad has something to say about it, we'll be all right."

It was Jon's turn to sigh. "Okay, you got me there. Your dad's one of the good guys."

"It's good that you remember that," Sam said with a small smirk. Then she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, her expression fading. "I suppose I should head to the infirmary. The colonel, Daniel, and Jonas all headed straight there after the debriefing to see Teal'c."

"He's up for visitors?" Jon asked. Danny also sat up a bit in anticipation of the answer.

Sam nodded. "Janet said as much when she came into the debriefing."

Jon hesitated before asking his next question. "Do you think we could go with you to see him?"

Sam smiled. "I think that would be all right. I'm not sure any of us should stay long, but it'll do us all good to see that Teal'c's okay in person."

The two young men returned her expression, and then the three of them left for the infirmary.

* * *

Two days later, Jonas offered to watch Danny for the day to allow Sam some uninterrupted time to work on an experiment that had reached a critical stage while Jon was taking some tests to determine his placement in school. The two of them read some books together, then watched some television. Jonas had been researching children's shows in anticipation of the day, and wasn't surprised when they both learned some things about American culture thanks to the experience.

After lunch, Jonas asked if Danny wanted to go and see Teal'c, and the boy agreed. As they exited the elevator they saw Daniel in the hallway just outside the Jaffa's room looking back inside with furrowed eyebrows and a slightly worried expression. The Kelownan couldn't help but wonder what had just happened, but wasn't sure if he should ask.

"Is Teal'c all right?" Jonas asked once Daniel had noticed them and walked over.

"What?" Daniel said, surprised at the question. "No, no, Teal'c's fine. He's healing like he's supposed to."

Jonas narrowed his eyes slightly. "So what has you worried?" he asked, catching that the other man had left something unsaid.

Daniel sighed. "He blames himself for getting injured. He said he fell behind."

Jonas blinked. "But Teal'c was covering us while I opened the stargate," he refuted.

"I know. That's what I told him. And that's when he told me he wanted to be alone." Daniel's eyes closed as he pursed his lips and shook his head.

"Should we not go in, then?" Jonas asked.

Daniel opened his eyes. "Maybe you should. I just wouldn't say anything about having talked to me." He smiled down at Danny, the little boy having been silently listening to the conversation with wide eyes. "I really think he'll like having you visit," the archaeologist told him warmly, only a tiny spark of doubt in the back of his gaze any indication that he didn't fully believe what he was saying.

Danny returned the smile with a small one of his own. "I'll try to help Teal'c feel better."

"I know you will." Daniel glanced at Jonas. "I know you both will." He sighed again and pressed the call button for the elevator. "I'm going to get back to the office and work on that tablet from P2S-927. Good luck." With one last smile, he went through the now-open silver doors and disappeared behind them when they closed.

"Well, I guess we should go see Teal'c," Jonas said after a moment. "Just remember not to mention Daniel, okay?"

"All right," Danny agreed quietly.

The two of them walked down the hall and Jonas knocked on the doorframe of Teal'c's room, the door being open. "Hey, there," the Kelownan greeted his friend with a smile when the Jaffa turned his head toward the source of the sound. "I'm taking care of Daniel here today and thought we'd come see how you're doing."

Teal'c paused before responding. "I am doing well," he said with a note of resignation in both his tone and his eyes.

"I see you've already had visitors today," Jonas continued, gesturing at the five small cups - four eaten and a pair of spoons in a couple of the empty containers - of green Jell-O on the overtable next to the bed.

"O'Neill brought them," Teal'c said simply.

"The colonel is thoughtful that way." Jonas paused as he tried to think of what else to say. Teal'c wasn't making it easy; the Jaffa's body language was anything but welcoming although his tone was neutral.

Danny didn't have that problem. He stepped up to the side of the bed and looked at Teal'c earnestly. "I'm glad you're doing well," he said, smiling shyly.

Teal'c tensed slightly, but gave the child a shallow nod of acceptance. "Thank you."

Danny nibbled on his lower lip for a moment. "And thank you for keeping Sam and the rest of SG-1 safe and helping everybody get home," he said quietly.

The Jaffa's jaw muscle began to twitch and he closed his eyes, his body tensing completely. He was quiet for a couple minutes before he turned his head away from his visitors. "I must rest," he ground out through gritted teeth, not opening his eyes.

"Oh, right. We'll just go then," Jonas said quickly, blinking in surprise at the reaction. He placed a hand on Danny's shoulder and gently led him toward the door. "We'll come back another time and see how you're doing then." There was no reaction, so Jonas and Danny left without another word.

"Oh wow," Jonas muttered when they were halfway back to the elevator. "He really is feeling guilty." He stopped walking and looked back at where they'd come from, his expression unknowingly showing as much worry as Daniel's had earlier.

"Did… did I do something wrong?"

The meek little voice drew Jonas away from his musings about Teal'c and had him looking down at a tiny heartbroken look. Blue eyes were large as they looked up at him, making him need to make the pain go away. "No, of course not, Daniel," Jonas tried to reassure the boy. "Teal'c feels bad about getting hurt. And he's tired and probably in pain. It wasn't personal against you."

Danny thought about it then sighed. "I didn't help him feel better, then."

Jonas knelt down to look Danny in the eyes. "I'm not sure he's ready to feel better yet," he said, the idea just occurring to him. "Maybe when he's closer to being completely healed."

"So he'll still be okay?"

"I think so," Jonas said with a small smile. "And we'll keep trying to help him along the way. Underneath it all I think he appreciates it."

Danny sighed again. "Okay. I just want Teal'c to feel better."

Jonas nodded. "I do, too." He checked his watch. "And now I think it's time for your nap. Let's go back to your room and get ready."

They continued on their way to the elevator. And as Jonas got Danny settled into bed, Sunshine beside him, the Kelownan couldn't help but wonder just how hard it was going to end up being to help Teal'c the way they all wanted to. He just knew there was no way Teal'c was going to make things easy for himself.


End file.
